Using video tracking to estimate the loads applied to grandstands by large crowds

Journal article

When crowds of people on a grandstand jump to a music beat, it is possible for them to excite undesirable resonances within the structure. The statistics of the forces produced by relatively small groups of people are known, but the forces produced by large crowds are not yet well known due to the difficulties in detecting all of the necessary individual forces. One method of following large crowds is to use video data of large crowds jumping. The trajectories of individuals within the crowd may then be found by using simple tracking after segmentation of the image using standard image processing methods. These trajectories can then be compared with video and force data which has been produced by 'spectators' on a specially built instrumented test grandstand in the department. This paper will present early results of the grandstand tests linking head movement to jumping load.

Authors: Hoath, R; Blakeborough, A; Williams, M

• Journal: Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series
• Publication date: 2007-01-01
• EISSN: 2191-5652
• ISSN: 2191-5644
• Language: English