Design and Construction of a Virtual Bicycle Simulator for Evaluating Sustainable Facilities Design

Sun, Carlos; Qing, Zhu · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1155/2018/5735820

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Summary

This paper addresses the gap in traffic engineering research regarding bicycle facility design, a field that lags behind vehicular infrastructure in terms of standards and understanding. Motivated by the rising demand for sustainable transportation in the United States, the authors developed ZouSim, a virtual bicycle simulator specifically designed for evaluating sustainable facilities design, signage, and markings. Unlike existing simulators focused on bicycle dynamics, medical rehabilitation, or human factors, ZouSim is tailored for civil engineering applications, allowing researchers to investigate rider safety and mobility within realistic network environments. The development of ZouSim involved specific hardware and software choices to balance realism with practicality. The hardware setup utilizes a small Trek 800 bicycle mounted on a trainer stand to allow rear wheel rotation while providing realistic resistance. Key measurement interfaces include a custom dynamo-based circuit for speed detection, a potentiometer for measuring brake cable tension, and an optical tracking system using a laser and high-speed camera for steering angle. The authors selected optical tracking over video, mechanical, or gyroscopic sensors due to superior performance and lower complexity. For the graphical interface, a large central LCD screen was chosen over projection or VR headsets to maximize visual fidelity and minimize simulator sickness. The simulation engine was built using Unity, leveraging its physics capabilities and community resources to model real-world networks, including pavement textures, MUTCD-compliant markings, and static objects like buildings and signs. The paper details the trade-offs associated with these design decisions, such as the limitation of the trainer stand preventing front wheel brake simulation and the 45-degree steering limit imposed by the inability to simulate bicycle leaning. A sample application is presented involving a wayfinding and detection markings study, demonstrating how ZouSim can be used to test design alternatives in a controlled environment. The authors document the process of scene creation, including the integration of topographic data and the modeling of dynamic objects, to illustrate the simulator’s utility. The significance of this work lies in providing a documented, accessible framework for developing bicycle simulators for traffic engineering purposes. By detailing the hardware schematics, sensor selection rationale, and software implementation, the paper encourages other researchers in sustainable cities to adopt similar tools. This contributes to the advancement of bicycle research by offering a method to test and investigate design alternatives for bicycle facilities, thereby supporting the development of safer and more efficient non-motorized transportation infrastructure in the U.S. context.

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• simulator validity fidelity

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• Methodological Resource: tool software