Work in progress: Moving from outside to inside - Traffic engineering field exercises through virtual reality

Abstract

The study of traffic engineering typically uses field observations of traffic. These field observations take place along highways and at intersections. Field observations have several issues including the exposure to traffic that could be hazardous, adverse weather conditions, and the variable nature of traffic. To overcome these challenges, video of traffic and microsimulation of traffic are often used (Kyte & Urbanik, 2012; PTV Vissim 10, 2017). Recently, VR and 360 video are being used in educational settings (Ulrich et al, 2014; Pantelidis (2010)). With the advent of Google Cardboard and YouTube support of 360 videos, along with the continuing price decline in VR systems and 360 cameras, wider use of VR for engineering education is now possible. This paper presents work in progress to demonstrate the effectiveness of VR as an alternative to field laboratory exercises in transportation engineering. The work presented demonstrates how the experience of live field laboratory exercises have been translated to a virtual reality environment through the use of 360 video and a virtual reality viewing system.