UB’s TRAVL virtual reality bike simulation to test infrastructure designs

Published November 3, 2025

The University at Buffalo's Transportation Research and Visualization Laboratory (TRAVL) is transforming how it designs safer and more sustainable cities through virtual bike simulation. Researchers are using a specially designed bicycle simulator where a subject can ride a stationary bike while experiencing a custom-built digital world through a VR headset. 

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VR bike simulation.

VR bike simulation.

To make the simulation truly immersive, a fan provides blowing air that corresponds to the cyclist's speed accompanied by high-fidelity 3D audio.

Led by Dr. Austin Angulo, assistant professor with the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, the lab uses this advanced simulator to study how cyclists interact with new infrastructure designs and coordinate with other road users in a perfectly controlled, risk-free environment. 

By testing everything from new bike lane configurations to cyclist communication strategies virtually, TRAVL can gather crucial data to build smarter, safer streets in the real-world. 

TRAVL is a marquee research facility affiliated with the Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics (ISTL). Through its research and interdisciplinary graduate program, ISTL enables mechanisms for research and collaboration that will have a positive impact on transportation.

TRAVL is a facility created to inspire the next generation of transportation engineers using innovative and immersive technology.