VR for Travel Safety: A UCD Belfield Campus Case Study from CDIC/UCD Teachers

Led by Dr. Saptarshi Sen, the project Application of Virtual Reality to Identify Safe Walking and Cycling Environments: A Case Study of UCD Belfield Campus brings together a multidisciplinary team including Dr. Meisam Gordan (CDIC Faculty), Dr. Sarah Cooney (UCD School of Psychology), Dr. Fatemeh Golpayegani (UCD School of Computer Science), two students (to be appointed), and one Research Assistant (to be hired).

This project will demonstrate an application of Virtual Reality (VR) in assessing and enhancing pedestrian & cyclist safety on the UCD Belfield Campus. It will investigate the users' perceptions of active travel infrastructure, aiming to identify barriers to walking and cycling. 

Bringing together expertise from Civil Engineering, Computer Science, and Psychology, the project exemplifies digital innovation in transport planning. It combines experiential learning with evidence-based insights, ensuring that safety, accessibility, and sustainability are at the heart of future campus mobility design. Interdisciplinary collaboration and strong student engagement will drive the research, providing real-world impact while developing new skills and perspectives. Funding will be fully utilised by December 2025, with project activities continuing into mid-2026 to maximise outcomes and knowledge transfer.