21 January 2026
How do people move when space becomes limited? And what influence do age and exhaustion have in this? Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the German Sport University Cologne are conducting experiments to investigate the impact of age and exhaustion on movement and safety in crowds.
The train stops, the doors open. Young people push forward quickly, changing direction abruptly. An older person pauses briefly, looking for support. Different ways of moving collide in a confined space - it is precisely in situations like this that risks can arise.
"People differ not only in height or gender, but also in how quickly they react, maintain their balance or respond to sudden crowding," explains Dr. Maik Boltes from the Institute of Civil Security Research (IAS-7) at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Professor Uwe Kersting from the Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics at the German Sport University Cologne adds: "On this basis, we are systematically investigating for the first time how age and physical performance influence reaction time, balance and movement stability in crowded situations."
In such situations, as on train platforms, at concerts or in stadiums, interactions between individuals are inevitable. This carries risks: evasive movements become more difficult, and minor stumbles can hardly be caught. The possible consequences range from harmless bruises to falls and life-threatening situations.
The degree of exhaustion is also thought to be an important factor in crowd safety. Reports from emergency services indicate that accidents are more likely to occur at the end of large events than at the beginning.
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Researching age and exhaustion as safety factors
In the research project LostInCrowds, launched by Forschungszentrum Jülich together with the German Sport University Cologne at the beginning of last year, researchers are seeking to gain a better understanding of the relationship between age, exhaustion and safety in crowds.
"The focus is on how crowd dynamics affect the individual movement behaviour of each person - and which factors are therefore decisive for potential safety risks," explains Carina Wings, who is investigating the topic as part of her doctoral thesis at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
"Following this core experiment, we will recreate key situations in detailed tests to determine the resulting joint loads," says Katharina Borgmann, project manager at the Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics at the German Sport University Cologne.
"Biomechanics helps us understand how injuries occur in certain movement and stress situations. We want to use this knowledge to better map individual injury risks in dense crowds and integrate them into existing models," says Prof. Kersting.
The results are relevant for a wide range of applications. These include evacuation and safety concepts for large events, transport infrastructure planning, and simulations that can identify critical crowding at an early stage.
"Our goal is to use the knowledge we have gained to further develop our pedestrian models in order to specifically improve safety in crowds and at large events," explains Maik Boltes.
Four days of experiments with 60 participants
The associated experiments took place over four days from 17 to 21 January at the German Sport University Cologne. Around 60 participants came from a wide age range. In controlled conditions, the researchers investigated how they adapt their movement behaviour when available space shrinks and becomes competitive.
"We ask the test subjects, for example, to exercise under appropriate guidance and then pass through a crowd with increased motivation," says Carina Wings.
Cameras mounted on the ceiling record the walking paths of each individual. Some test subjects were also equipped with 3D motion sensors and heart rate monitors, providing the researchers with further detailed insights into what was happening. Individual factors such as body size and fitness are also included in the evaluation to provide a comprehensive overview of the dynamics at play.
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Same setup, different age groups: the video comparison highlights the differences (Copyright: Forschungszentrum Jülich)
