Towards accelerated agent-based crowd simulation for Hajj and Umrah

There are many scientific applications ranging from weather prediction to oil and gas exploration that requires high-performance computing. It aids industries and researchers to enrich further their advancements. With the advent of general purpose computing over GPUs, most of the applications above are shifting towards High-Performance Computing (HPC). Agent-based crowd simulation is one of the candidates that requires high-performance computing. This type of application is used to predict crowd movement in highly congested areas. One of the most crucial scenarios in which this application can be used is to mimic the movement of the multi-cultural crowd performing Hajj and Umrah in Masjid Al-Haram, Makkah. Adequate performance for an agent-based crowd system is a common problem in computer science. While the existing event planning software, specifically for Hajj and Umrah, are unable to provide the required performance. The main reason is the increasing amount of autonomous pilgrims every year. In this paper, we propose a high performance agent-based crowd simulation that represents pilgrim movement during these rituals. The performance is achieved by parallelizing an open source steering library called OpenSteer using CUDA over GPU. By using our technique, event organizers will be able to simulate large crowds and will also be able to predict whether the developed event plan is viable or not. We have also discussed the architecture and implementation of this parallel Hajj simulation

GPU-based optimization of pilgrim simulation for hajj and umrah rituals

Tawaf ritual performed during Hajj and Umrah is one of the most unique, large-scale multi-cultural events in this modern day and age. Pilgrims from all over the world circumambulate around a stone cube structure called Ka'aba. Disasters at these types of events are inevitable due to erratic behaviours of pilgrims. This has prompted researchers to present several solutions to avoid such incidents. Agent-based simulations of a large number of pilgrims performing different the ritual can provide the solution to obviate such disasters that are either caused by mismanagement or because of irregular event plans. However, the problem arises due to limited parallelisation capabilities in existing models for concurrent execution of the agent-based simulation. This limitation decreases the efficiency by producing insufficient frames for simulating a large number of autonomous agents during Tawaf ritual. Therefore, it has become very necessary to provide a parallel simulation model that will improve the performance of pilgrims performing the crucial ritual of Tawaf in large numbers. To fill in this gap between large-scale agent-based simulation and navigational behaviours for pilgrim movement, an optimised parallel simulation software of agent-based crowd movement during the ritual of Tawaf is proposed here. The software comprises parallel behaviours for autonomous agents that utilise the inherent parallelism of Graphics Processing Units (GPU). In order to implement the simulation software, an optimized parallel model is proposed. This model is based on the agent-based architecture which comprises agents having a reactive design that responds to a fixed set of stimuli. An advantage of using agents is to provide artificial anomaly to generate heterogeneous movement of the crowd as opposed to a singular movement which is unrealistic. The purpose is to decrease the execution time of complex behaviour computation for each agent while simulating a large crowd of pilgrims at increased frames per second (fps). The implementation utilises CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) platform for general purpose computing over GPU. It exploits the underlying data parallel capability of an existing library for steering behaviours, called OpenSteer. It has simpler behaviours that when combined together, produces more complex realistic behaviours. The data-independent nature of these agent-based behaviours makes it a very suitable candidate to be parallelised. After an in-depth review of previous studies on the simulation of Tawaf ritual, two key behaviours associated with pilgrim movement are considered for the new model. The parallel simulation is executed on three different high-performance configurations to determine the variation in different performance metrics. The parallel implementation achieved a considerable speedup in comparison to its sequential counterpart running on a single-threaded CPU. With the use of parallel behaviours, 100,000 pilgrims at 10 fps were simulated

Pedestrian velocity obstacles: pedestrian simulation through reasoning in velocity space

We live in a populous world. Furthermore, as social animals, we participate in activities which draw us together into shared spaces -- office buildings, city sidewalks, parks, events (e.g., religious, sporting, or political), etc. Models that can predict how crowds of humans behave in such settings would be valuable in allowing us to analyze the designs for novel environments and anticipate issues with space utility and safety. They would also better enable robots to safely work in a common environment with humans. Furthermore, credible simulation of crowds of humans would allow us to populate virtual worlds, helping to increase the immersive properties of virtual reality or entertainment applications. We propose a new model for pedestrian crowd simulation: Pedestrian Velocity Obstacles (PedVO). PedVO is based on Optimal Reciprocal Collision Avoidance (ORCA), a local navigation algorithm for computing optimal feasible velocities which simultaneously avoid collisions while still allowing the agents to progress toward their individual goals. PedVO extends ORCA by introducing new models of pedestrian behavior and relationships in conjunction with a modified geometric optimization planning technique to efficiently simulate agents with improved human-like behaviors. PedVO introduces asymmetric relationships between agents through two complementary techniques: Composite Agents and Right of Way. The former exploits the underlying collision avoidance mechanism to encode abstract factors and the latter modifies the optimization algorithm's constraint definition to enforce asymmetric coordination. PedVO further changes the optimization algorithm to more fully encode the agent's knowledge of its environment, allowing the agent to make more intelligent decisions, leading to a better utilization of space and improved flow. PedVO incorporates a new model, which works in conjunction with the local planning algorithm, to introduce a ubiquitous density-sensitive behavior observed in human crowds -- the so-called "fundamental diagram." We also provide a physically-plausible, interactive model for simulating walking motion to support the computed agent trajectories. We evaluate these techniques by simulating various scenarios, such as pedestrian experiments and a challenging real-world scenario: simulating the performance of the Tawaf, an aspect of the Muslim Hajj.Doctor of Philosoph

Workshop for morality : the Islamic creativity of Pesantren Daarut Tauhid in Bandung, Java

This ethnographic study attempts to portray Pesantren Daarut Tauhid in Bandung, Java, in terms of its emergence, its nature and structure, and the role it plays in the reinforcement of Islamic morality in a Muslim community. The initial stages and the foundation of the pesantren are first discussed in order to understand a number of events which were crucial to the emergence of the pesantren. The thesis then examines the nature of the leader and his followers and the structure of interrelationships between them. Next, the practice of Islam at the pesantren is discussed in order to consider its creativity in expressing Islam. Finally, the thesis discusses the ways by which the pesantren reinforces religious morality. The study shows that the establishment of the pesantren was related in some ways to the general phenomenon of Islamic resurgence. However, it does not follow the common notion that Islamic resurgence involves the internal reformation of Islamic practices in response· to the local influences of religious practices. It is, instead, more a response to the social problems and ills that are a reflection of the erosion of religious life. Unlike the reformist Muhammadiyah and PERSIS, Daarut Tauhid attempts less to purge Islamic teachings and practices of non-Islamic influences than to call Muslims to a disciplined practice of Islam, regardless of which lines of Islam they follow. In the light of this, Daarut Tauhid focuses its attention on the earnest application of Islamic morality. By choosing this aspect, the pesantren is less likely to be trapped in the endless religious dispute between modernist and traditionalist because the two groups have no disagreement in this respect. The study also shows that Pesantren Daarut Tauhid, unlike other pesantren, plays a deliberate, direct role in the reinforcement of Islamic morality. First, it is known as the pesantren Bengkel Akhlaq (Workshop for Morality), an institution where Muslims can rehabilitate their immoral behaviour. Secondly, daily life is redeveloped to foster Islamic morality in order to refine Muslims' morality. In this sphere, the relationship between the leader and the follower is both collective and personal. Thirdly, akhlaq (Islamic morality) is always the central theme of all public talks and written publications. Fourthly, spiritual workshops are regularly conducted in order to provide a forum where Muslims can rehabilitate their morality. Here, the tradition of spiritual weeping is effectively used to generate religious consciousness and, in tum, to propagate virtue. Pesantren Daarut Tauhid has made a considerable contribution to the pesantren tradition in Java. Geographically, it extends the influence of the pesantren tradition in an urban area whereas most pesantren are concentrated in rural areas. Functionally, it enriches the pesantren tradition as a centre for quick and effective moral rehabilitation. While pesantren conventionally focus on learning advanced Islamic knowledge, Daarut Tauhid turns to the more practical knowledge of conduct. The existence of Pesantren Daarut Tauhid, with these two distinctive features, can be seen as complementary to the existing pesantren tradition at large, in that it does not belittle rural and conventional traditions of pesantren, but it empowers them by widening their influence to the urban area and enriching their styles

Covid-19: reinforcing the impact of Islamic banking through value-based intermediation

The novel Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented human crisis around the globe. The necessary actions implemented to contain the virus have sparked both economic and social downturn. It shows the fragility and unpreparedness of the economy to face such a pandemic. Significant weakening of economic conditions has escalated the pressure on households, businesses and financial markets. However, before the Covid-19 outbreak, Bank Negara Malaysia has taken a new initiative by introducing Value-Based Intermediation (VBI). VBI’s strategy opens up a new holistic layer for Islamic banks in providing the public at large with impactful and profitable services. This paper discusses VBI’s strategy and its potential application from the viewpoint of Sharīʽah. This paper also discusses Islamic banks' activities in implementing VBI as well as their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, based on qualitative inquiry. The paper concludes that VBI is a long journey that requires significant transformation of mindset among key stakeholders. As Covid-19 has adversely impacted communities in several ways, Islamic banks could empower communities through provision of financial solutions that create positive impact

ALIGNING THE APPEAL OF ENTREPRENEURS TO INVESTORS: WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR AN OPTIMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING MODULE IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA TO BETTER ENGAGE ENTREPRENEURS WITH INVESTORS

Little of the available funding reaches entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This lack of financing ability, known as credit rationing, is mainly due to information asymmetries and is a pressing issue in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government is relying on the entrepreneurship and SMEs subsector to diversify the Kingdom’s economy away from the dominance of oil and to create jobs for young Saudis who are underemployed. This study aims to answer a question that hypothesizes that entrepreneurs need an optimal training module to understand the types of information that investors utilize in investment decisions and the type of “signals” from entrepreneurs that inspire confidence in investors. The human capital theory suggests that a quality training program can establish a skill base that will improve return on investment. The signaling theory suggests that the challenge of imperfect information can be largely overcome by training entrepreneurs to send more accurate and more targeted signals to investors regarding their character, skills, and the viability of their projects. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection. The research was conducted within the Saudi cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, where most of the entrepreneurial activities and SMEs development are located. It suffered some limitations due to access to data and the conservativeness of the Saudi population in responding to academic studies that affected the sample size The findings reveal that entrepreneurs with an in-depth understanding of investors’ due diligence process are more likely to invest adequately to assemble appropriate skill sets and learn to signal the characteristics that investors appreciate while tailoring their ventures and business plans to meet investors’ ideals. A training module that includes these components can be vital in overcoming credit rationing in the Kingdom. Universities, mainly business schools, may play a significant role in providing the optimal training module, with collaboration from investors. This study contributes to the literature by representing the history of the entrepreneurship and SMEs development in the Kingdom through three main periodical stages. Also, it identifies the assessment studies that international management consultants prepared to several Saudi government agencies in the subject field. This contribution is more likely to help future researchers in having more practical information about the entrepreneurship and SMEs ecosystem in the Kingdom. Furthermore, the study has implications on entrepreneurship and SMEs development stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, investors, training institutes, and regulators. Few recommendations are proposed. The study concludes with suggestions for research in related subject areas in Saudi Arabia and potentially other countries with similar economies