Methods and systems for simulating agent behavior in a virtual environment
Systems and methods for simulating behavior of agents in a virtual environment are described. Observed customer behavior data for a retail space may be received. A model for customer behavior in the retail space is generated, the model including probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli. A virtual customer agent is built based on the model for customer behavior. A virtual retail space is built and modified, the modified virtual retail space including at least one different design feature from the virtual retail space. In the modified virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent is simulated performing a predetermined list of tasks based on the probabilities for the customer responses. Simulated customer behavior data, including responses of the virtual customer agent to the modified virtual retail space, may be generated based on the simulation.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, observed customer behavior data for a retail space;
generating, by the processor, a model for customer behavior in the retail space based on the observed customer behavior data, the model comprising probabilities for customer responses to one or more of a plurality of retail space stimuli during performance of one or more tasks from a plurality of tasks in the retail space;
building, by the processor, a virtual customer agent having movement patterns based on applying to the virtual customer agent, the probabilities for customer responses and one or more first logical decision rules that decide a response of the virtual customer agent based on one or more retail space stimuli during simulated performance of one or more tasks;
building, by the processor, a virtual retail space, the virtual retail space being a virtual representation of the retail space;
simulating, by the processor, a first movement pattern for the virtual customer agent performing a first predetermined list of tasks in the virtual retail space with respect to the probabilities for customer responses and one or more of the first logical decision rules that correspond to retail space stimuli;
causing display on an interface, by the processor, of the virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent, and a path based on the first movement pattern for the virtual customer agent;
modifying, by the processor, the virtual retail space to generate a modified virtual retail space with at least one different physical retail space design feature from the virtual retail space;
causing, by the processor, to simulate a second movement pattern for the virtual customer agent performing the same first predetermined list of tasks in the modified virtual retail space with respect to the probabilities for customer responses, the one or more of the first logical decision rules that correspond to the same retail space stimuli and the at least one different physical retail space design feature of the modified virtual retail space; and
causing, by the processor, display of simulated customer behavior data on the interface, the simulated customer behavior data comprising, in part, one or more of the customer responses applied by the virtual customer agent during the second movement pattern.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor, observed associate behavior data for the retail space, the associate being an employee working in the retail space;
generating, by the processor, a model for associate behavior in the retail space based on the observed associate behavior data, the model comprising probabilities for associate responses to the one or more of the plurality of retail space stimuli;
building, by the processor, a virtual associate agent based on applying to the virtual associate agent: the probabilities for associate responses and one or more second logical decision rules that correspond to one or more retail space stimuli during simulated performance of one or more associate tasks;
simulating, by the processor, the virtual associate agent performing a second predetermined list of associate tasks in the modified virtual retail space having the at least one different physical retail space design feature with respect to the probabilities for associate responses and one or more of the second logical decision rules that correspond to retail space stimuli; and
storing, by the processor, simulated associate behavior data comprising, in part, one or more of the associate responses applied by the virtual associate agent during performance of the second predetermined list of associate tasks in the modified virtual retail space.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observed customer behavior data is gathered by observing customers for a predetermined period of time in the retail space, the observing comprising generating data based on observed customer responses to one or more of a plurality of actual retail space stimuli.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different physical retail space design feature includes:
a change to a size of the virtual retail space.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different physical retail space design feature includes:
an adjustment to a location of a product within the virtual retail space.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simulated customer behavior data includes simulated sales data.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received observed customer behavior data further comprises:
observed customer behavior data from a plurality of retail stores, wherein each of the retail stores in the plurality of retail stores share a common feature with the retail space; and
wherein generating the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprises: additional probabilities for customer responses to one or more of the plurality of retail space stimuli in the plurality of retail stores.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of stimuli in the plurality of retail stores comprises:
one or more additional retail space stimuli absent from the retail space.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the observed customer behavior data from the plurality of retail stores comprises:
one or more suggested layouts for a respective retail space from the plurality of retail stores based on at least one sale of an item and at least one conversion of the item.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprises:
one or more limitations on the virtual customer agent based on at least one of the laws of physics.
11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor, the method comprising:
receiving observed customer behavior data for a retail space;
generating a model for customer behavior in the retail space based on the observed customer behavior data, the model comprising probabilities for customer responses to one or more of a plurality of retail space stimuli during performance of one or more tasks from a plurality of tasks in the retail space;
building a virtual customer agent having movement patterns based on applying, to the virtual customer agent, the probabilities for customer responses and one or more first logical decision rules that decide a response of the virtual customer agent based on one or more retail space stimuli during simulated performance of one or more tasks;
building a virtual retail space, the virtual retail space being a virtual representation of the retail space;
simulating a first movement pattern for the virtual customer agent performing a first predetermined list of tasks in the virtual retail space with respect to the probabilities for customer responses and one or more of the first logical decision rules that correspond to retail space stimuli;
displaying the virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent, and a path based on the first movement pattern for the virtual customer agent to be displayed on an interface;
modifying the virtual retail space to generate a modified virtual retail space with at least one different physical retail space design feature from the virtual retail space;
simulating a second movement pattern for the virtual customer agent performing the same first predetermined list of tasks in the modified virtual retail space with respect to the probabilities for customer responses, the one or more of the first logical decision rules that correspond to the same retail space stimuli and the at least one different physical retail space design feature of the modified virtual retail space; and
displaying simulated customer behavior data on the interface, the simulated customer behavior data comprising, in part, one or more of the customer responses applied by the virtual customer agent during the second movement pattern.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , the method further comprising:
receiving observed associate behavior data for the retail space, the associate being an employee working in the retail space;
generating a model for associate behavior in the retail space based on the observed associate behavior data, the model comprising probabilities for associate responses to the one or more of the plurality of retail space stimuli;
building a virtual associate agent based on to the virtual associate agent: the probabilities for associate responses and one or more second logical decision rules that correspond to one or more retail space stimuli during simulated performance of one or more associate tasks;
simulating the virtual associate agent performing a second predetermined list of associate tasks in the modified virtual retail space having the at least one different physical retail space design feature with respect to the probabilities for associate responses and one or more of the second logical decision rules that correspond to retail space stimuli; and
storing simulated associate behavior data comprising, in part, one or more of the associate responses applied by the virtual associate agent during performance of the second predetermined list of associate tasks in the modified virtual retail space.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the observed customer behavior data is gathered by observing customers for a predetermined period of time in the retail space, the observing comprising generating data based on observed customer responses to one or more of a plurality of actual retail space stimuli.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one different physical retail space design feature includes:
a change to a size of the virtual retail space.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one different physical retail space design feature includes:
an adjustment to a location of a product within the virtual retail space.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the simulated customer behavior data includes simulated sales data.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the received observed customer behavior data comprises:
observed customer behavior data from a plurality of retail stores, wherein each of the retail stores in the plurality of retail stores share a common feature with the retail space; and
wherein generating the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprises: additional probabilities for customer responses to one or more of the plurality of retail space stimuli in the plurality of retail stores.