Reusable Software Structures for Coupling Agent-Based Locomotion Models and Disease Transmission Models

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked interest in coupling locomotion and disease transmission models because numerical experiments conducted with these combined models can help understand the transmission process. To review and reproduce simulations or to transfer them to a broader context, the underlying simulation program must be accessible and engineered carefully. Current software for agent based infection models often does not satisfy these quality requirements. Therefore, we address the research question of how to build reusable and quality-assured software that simulates disease transmission in moving crowds. We examine this by integrating an infection model into the crowd simulation program Vadere. Our methods are rooted in computer science. The software project is open-source, which allows for retracing its development and external contributions. Vadere’s new feature enables users to add and adapt modeling approaches and to compare them.