Spontaneous gait synchronisation in the wild

Adrien Gregorj, Zeynep Yücel, Francesco Zanlungo and Takayuki Kanda

Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2026, vol. 209, issue P1

Abstract: This research presents the first systematic analysis of gait synchronisation within uninstructed socially interacting pedestrian groups using ecological data. The study examines over 5000 trajectories captured via laser sensors and video cameras in an underground pedestrian network in Osaka, complemented by annotations of group membership and social interaction levels. A novel method for extracting gait signals from tracked trajectories is introduced. To assess gait synchronisation, analytical tools such as Cross Wavelet Coherence, determinism, maximal Lyapunov exponent, and cross-recurrence analysis are employed. Results consistently show that pedestrians within social groups exhibit significantly higher synchronisation compared to incidental pairs (unrelated individuals in proximity) which, in turn, demonstrate greater synchronisation than random pairs.

Keywords: Pedestrian dynamics; Social groups; Social interaction; Step synchronisation; Interpersonal coordination; Entrainment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:209:y:2026:i:p1:s0960077926005692

DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2026.118428

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