Anticipation decides on lane formation in pedestrian counterflow - a simulation study

Human crowds base most of their behavioral decisions upon anticipated states of their walking environment. We explore a minimal version of a lattice model to study lanes formation in pedestrian counterflow. Using the concept of horizon depth, our simulation results suggest that the anticipation effect together with the presence of a small background noise play an important role in promoting collective behaviors in a counterflow setup. These ingredients facilitate the formation of seemingly stable lanes and ensure the ergodicity of the system.