Validation of a bicycle simulator based on objective criteria

Statistics show, that bicycles become more and more popular as transportation method, e.g. 25% increase in Germany between 2019 and 2021 (Sinus, 2021). To ensure the safety of bicycle riders as vulnerable road users (VRUs), analysing critical traffic situations is essential (Wendel, 2020). To be able to explore such situations in a safe environment, a bicycle simulator was built at DLR that can be used stand-alone or in combination with other simulators in order to integrate other traffic participants such as pedestrians or car drivers (Fischer et al., 2022; Martinez Garcia, 2021). This work describes the development of the simulator with the goal of creating a realistic and therefore immersive cycling experience (Jacobi, 2022; Janssen, 2022). A detailed description of the implementation of the recent improvements is provided as well as an objective evaluation for validation of the simulator.