The validation of Flow is conducted in accordance with the guidelines set out by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Circ. 1238 and the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Technical Note 1822, which provides standards for testing evacuation simulation tools. This validation process ensures that Flow meets the required performance standards for simulating evacuation movement in various scenarios.
The tests are divided into four main categories:
- Component Testing – Verifying individual features of the simulation such as walking speed, cornering, and exit flow rates.
- Functional Verification – Ensuring that all system components work together as intended.
- Qualitative Verification – Testing how the simulation responds to complex scenarios like counterflow and crowded exits.
- Quantitative Verification – Measuring the accuracy of the simulation’s numerical outputs against expected results.
Each test is designed to replicate real-world evacuation conditions, and the results are demonstrated through video examples. The testing process is a critical step to validate the software’s capabilities and ensure compliance with safety standards.
