The OpenBikeSim project
Within the OpenBikeSim project we pursue three main goals:
- Providing open-source modular bicycling simulator technology
- Creating an open knowledge base and guidance for simulator-based experiment design
- Connecting the community of simulator researchers
OpenBikeSim Tech – Open-source modular simulator technology
We performed a systematic review (currently in peer-review process, will be linked here once published) on bicycling simulator use in mobility research, which showed that there are various use cases and almost countless options for setting up and applying a bicycling simulator. But even though various bicycling simulators are frequently used, so far there are no common standards for building, documenting and publishing bicycling simulator technology and research designs.
Our project provides a solution to this challenge: OpenBikeSim Tech
Through analyzing the bicycling simulators described in previous research, we derived a system architecture which defines the physical and virtual sub-systems of bicycling simulators. We then derived sub-systems by simulator functions and reviewed the technical solutions to show the options for each individual sub-system.
OpenBikeSim Tech uses the resulting system architecture to:
- provide a structure for comparable and efficient documentation of simulator technology
- create a database of available documentation for technical solutions for each sub-system
Using OpenBikeSim.tech to develop bicycling simulators enables us – and you – to systematically build, document and publish a simulator fitting your project’s requirements reusing and creating new open-source modules.
OpenBikeSim Design – Guidance for experiment design
Creating an experiment design that is capable of answering your research question is a challenging task that requires to balance different elements including the simulator technology, the scenario to be replicated, the tasks to be performed by the participants, the variables to be measured and analysed and much more. The ultimate goal – and challenge – of designing an experiment is to find the optimal balance leading to maximum research quality within the given practical constraints.
Our project lays the foundation for guidance for experiment design: OpenBikeSim Design
While much more systematic research is required to understand the dependencies between all elements of experiment design we aim to provide basic guidance for mastering the challenge by bundling the existing knowledge. The idea is to create an experiment design workflow guiding through the challenges of each element by pointing out pitfalls and providing references to existing research.
OpenBikeSim Design gives researchers new to bicycling simulator experiments an easier start and allows continuously bundling expert knowledge.
OpenBikeSim Library – Registry of open-source virtual environments
Creating virtual environments for bicycling simulators takes a lot of time and to be able to compare different simulator studies an understanding of the level of detail modelled is crucial.
To find existing environments for bicycling simulators easily we provide a central registry: OpenBikeSim Library
TiptoP Simulator – open-source bicycling simulator documentation
The growing number of research groups employing bicycling simulators for controlled experiments emphasises the potential of immersive human-in-the-loop simulation. However, developing a simulator requires interdisciplinary expertise and large resources.
To get started building a simulator efficiently, we provide a comprehensive open-source documentation: TiptoP Simulator
OpenBikeSim Community
Researchers around the world develop and apply bicycling simulators for investigations urgently required to foster bicycling as an active mode of transportation. The aim of OpenBikeSim is to connect individual researchers and groups to enhance knowledge and technology transfer and drive the advance of this field of human-in-the-loop simulation.
If you are developing or applying bicycling simulators for mobility research, please join our community. Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date about the development of the community and upcoming events.
If you have developed bicycling simulator technologies, environments or experiment design methods, we encourage you to share your published work with the community through this website. Send us a notice to bicycletraffic[at]uni-wuppertal.de including a short description of what you would like to share and were people can find it (e.g. on a repository, or a website).
We are looking forward to hearing from you and will keep you updated!