Bicycle simulator and virtual reality

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the capabilities and limitations of immersive 360-degree virtual reality (VR) for bicycle research to study bicycle facility preferences, perception of safety of bicyclists, and bicycling behaviour. There is a need for methods that provide a better understanding of bicyclists’ perceived safety and preferences on currently unavailable and/or unknown facilities. Several barriers to bicycling in Singapore were identified including safety concerns, unavailability of appropriate bicycle facilities, weather conditions, and trip distance, which were in line with previous findings in other countries. However, a major difference between the research at hand and research from previous studies is that due to the scarcity of bicycle infrastructure and bicycling experience in Singapore, the application of commonly used survey methods might lead to unreliable and inadequate results.