VR Simulator Helps Shape Future of Autonomous Vehicle Services

3D Repo, UK, is creating 3D Virtual Reality visualisations to help simulate driverless vehicle routes as part of a GBP 100 million government backed research project. Led by TRL, the project is part of the Smart Mobility Living Lab, located in Greenwich, London. The Living Lab provides a real-life environment where Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) can be developed, evaluated and integrated with the local community.      

3D Repo’s cloud-based Building Information Modelling (BIM) collaboration software combines with the latest Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, so enabling visitors to the Living Lab to explore the local transport environment from the convenience of an 11th floor office. Designed to showcase advances in online BIM projects and 3D visualisation techniques in the context of autonomous vehicle transportation, the 3D Repo simulator offers the potential for developing and testing CAV mobility services, including communication, physical, digital, vehicle and control centre infrastructure. 

The inclusion of cloud based BIM within the Smart Mobility Living Lab demonstrates how far the technology has come, according to Dr Jozef Dobos, CEO of 3D Repo. The VR headsets enable to provide interactive access to real world environments, complete with information contained within complex databases and 3D models. This is having a significant impact on driving forward the understanding of how CAVs will behave and how they interact with the urban environment and its other users.