A Flexible Simulation Environment for Enhanced VRU Research.

Virtual (VR) and mixed reality (MR) simulations allow researchers to explore technologies and concepts that are not yet available. In the automotive sector, driving simulators are often used in user studies to investigate the experiences of drivers and passengers in manual and automated driving. However, it is also important to study the interactions with other road users, in particular with vulnerable road users (VRUs). User studies can help understand how VRUs interact with vehicles or explore new user interfaces that improve their safety or comfort on the road. MR simulation is a valuable tool for this purpose as it is allowing participants to experience potentially dangerous situations without being exposed to physical harm. A major improvement to previous VR/MR environments is our “procedural road generator” – a component that allows situations participants encounter to be randomized in a “controlled” manner. Study settings are built for this purpose in blocks of predefined road segments, which are arranged in random order one after the other. As an application example, we showcase an MR bicycle simulator to study the effects of hazard messages for cyclists in connected traffic in different traffic situations.