Despite cycling being one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly options for transportation in Melbourne’s inner city, the percentage of the population that uses a bicycle to commute daily is marginal.
Identifying that cycling could become safer if motorists were to change their behaviour towards cyclists on the roads, this research looks at how interaction design through the field of virtual reality has the ability to encourage behavioural change through a virtual cycling simulation.

Using a HTC Vive connected to the game engine Unity and a stationary bike fitted with Arduino sensors, the project gives drivers an embodied experience of a cyclist in the inner city. The simulation aims to make non-cyclists reflect on their behaviour on the road, encouraging them to become more empathetic towards cyclists and the implementation of better cycling infrastructure. If motorists were more aware of cyclists on the road this would then have the potential to improve the experience of inner-city cycling for all.