One problem in simulating crowds in traditional markets is calculating the interaction duration between traders and buyers. This problem can be solved in a simple way by doing field observation to obtain some samples to find the average interaction duration between traders and buyers. This method is simple. On the other hand, the result will be less valid if the parameters are change. The purpose of this research is to develop an interaction model between traders and buyers by looking deeper into the negotiation process. This model is developed based on multi-agent system. Output of this model is the interaction duration. This model has been implemented in a traditional market crowd simulation. Based on the simulation, by adjusting the parameters in this model, the interaction duration by the model matches the real condition in traditional markets.

In traditional market, buyers are not only moving from one place to another, but also interacting with traders to purchase their products. When a buyer interacts with a trader, he blocks some space in the corridor. Besides, while buyers are walking, they may be attracted by non-preferred traders, though they may have preferred traders. These situations have not been covered in most existing crowd simulation models. Hence, these existing models cannot be directly implemented in traditional market environments since they mainly focus on crowd members’ movement. This research emphasizes on a crowd model that includes simplified movement and unplanned purchasing models. This model has been developed based on intelligent agent concept, where each agent represents a buyer. Two traditional markets are used for simulation in this research, namely Gedongkuning and Ngasem, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The simulation shows that some places are visited more frequently than others. Overall, the simulation result matches the situation found in the real world.