Description:

 

Globally, metropolitan cities are rushing towards Net Zero Emissions by 2030. Use of active mode is becoming easier with new micro-mobility modes such as scooters and e-bikes. Despite these changes, a large proportion of the population in car-centric cities do not cycle. Changes in infrastructure are proving to be not enough to change safety perception and the ease of cycling.

In this research we will develop a VR environment to investigate cyclist’s safety perception of road and cycleway infrastructure and how it can be improved. In order to ensure a sufficient scale, we will use procedural generation methods and ideally create “infinite cities” where roads and cycleways contain pre-defined properties, but do not have a natural boundary and properties can be modified by the study supervisor.

Type:

Undergraduate

Outcome:

 

• Analysis and classification of the current state-of-the art of VR environments for cycling related research.
• Analysis and evaluation of procedural generation methods for city and road generation and to what extend they can be adapted to create cycleways.
• Get familiar with VR technologies and Unity.
• Develop and implement techniques for procedurally generating cities with roads and cycleways.
• Modify the procedural generation method so that it can be parameterised, e.g., properties of roads and cycleways can be adjusted (width, colours, boundaries, lighting etc.)
• Develop familiarity with research methodologies, user study design and running user studies. 
• Evaluate the developed tool and the effect of different parameters on users’ safety perception and willingness to cycle.
• Apply for ethics approval for the above study

Prerequisites

 

 

Good self-learning abilities (get familiar with a game development tool)

Interested in new technologies

Familiarity, or an interest in game development

Creativity

Suggest and implement design approaches that maximise benefits for the end user

Proactive and able to work to deadlines (ethics deadlines, user study)

Able to use an exerbike (no impairments or health issues preventing moderate to strenuous physical activity)

 

Specialisations

• Computer Systems Engineering
• Software Engineering

Categories

• Games & Education Aids 1
• Games & Education Aids 2
• Human Computer Interactions

Supervisor

• Burkhard Wuensche

Co-supervisor

Team

• Leander Legaspi
• Connor Stevens

Lab

Computer Science (303S.499, Lab)