Icarus is a simulation developed by Arizona State University and the University of California Los Angeles to estimate the effects of environmental hazards on travelers and indoor activities, and evaluate the efficacy of mitigation strategies. Icarus was developed by a team of engineers, environmental scientists, and public health scientists. It combines a state-of-the-art agent-based travel simulation (MatSIM), an indoor exposure model, environmental hazard models, and infrastructure data to estimate the effects of environmental disturbances in cities. The simulation is able to evaluate neighborhood to city-scale effects. Its initial uses have included assessing heat exposure mitigation, travel behavior changes due to roadway disruptions, and the effects of infrastructure changes on personal comfort during travel.

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Capabilities

Travel activity simulation

MatSIM is used with a Python wrapper to simulate walking, biking, auto, or transit travel including routing.

Non-travel activity simulation

Indoor and outdoor non-travel activities are simulated using statistical models.

Environmental hazards

A variety of hazards can be simulated including heat, cold, precipitation, and flooding.

Infrastructure Conditions

Infrastructure including roadway locations, conditions, and characteristics are considered.

Exposure thresholding

Exposure thresholds are used to determine risks to individuals.

Exposure mitigation

Side-by-side analysis of current conditions and adaptation strategies are considered.

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