UC Berkeley SafeTREC contributes bicycle simulator to Self-eSTEM summer camp

Watching them immerse themselves in a complex STEM tool like the bike simulator was a testament to how engaging technology can bridge the gap between theoretical learning and real-world applications.
Han Wang
September 30, 2024
Submitted by Karen Nguyen Vo

In August 2024, the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) demonstrated our bicycle simulator — originally created to gather data on cyclists' perceptions of safety in different road environments — to Self-eSTEM to complement their summer camp program for girls who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC) and are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Self-eSTEM is a nonprofit education program designed to support BIPOC girls and women by introducing them to STEM from a young age and ensuring that they stay in STEM, despite the barriers that BIPOC women often face in the field. Adamaka Ajaelo, founding executive director of Self-eSTEM, directly attributes the obstacles that she faced as a woman of color in STEM to her founding the organization.

"I experienced and saw the lack of support and exposure for underrepresented women minority groups in STEM fields," Ajaelo said. "I wanted to create a program that provided equitable access to high-quality STEM education and professional development for underrepresented girls of color. 

"By nurturing the brilliance and self-esteem of these young girls, Self-eSTEM ignites innovation and empowers them to excel in STEM fields, both personally and professionally."

The program holds a 12-month Early STEM Exploration Camp for BIPOC girls ages 7-17, which includes a summer STEM Exploration Camp where participants, dubbed "Innovators", spend a week doing collaborative, hands-on projects that tackle real-world challenges affecting their communities. 

This year's STEM Exploration Camp theme was "Futuristic City Planning Solutions for Tomorrow's World," and UC Berkeley SafeTREC's bike simulator was used to facilitate an activity where Innovators could brainstorm strategies to reduce the spread of biohazardous viruses in public spaces and transportation.

As a member of the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety, a Tier-1 University Transportation Center funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, UC Berkeley SafeTREC's collaboration with Self-eSTEM is in line with the center's mission to eliminate pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries through research, education, technology transfer, and workforce development.

Developing the bicycle simulator

The simulator, which uses a virtual reality (VR) headset, a step-through hybrid bicycle, and a smart bike trainer, was originally developed by a group of UC Berkeley SafeTREC researchers including Julia Griswold, director of UC Berkeley SafeTREC, and Han Wang, Ph.D. candidate in transportation engineering at UC Berkeley and former graduate student researcher at UC Berkeley SafeTREC.

Griswold explains that traditional evaluations, such as surveys using images or video, often miss nuances of the cyclist experience that impact the way that cyclists feel on the road. Field experiments, on the other hand, can put participants at risk of vehicle traffic. As such, the bike simulator was used to study cyclist perceptions of safety in urban settings for a Bicycle Level of Service study — specifically to understand which types of bike facilities cyclists most prefer.

"The process began by mapping real streets from various locations in California, reconstructing them virtually to replicate different traffic scenarios and road conditions," Wang said. "We also incorporated data from traffic sensors and urban planning sources to ensure that the virtual environments were as accurate and dynamic as possible. 

"The combination of these tools allows participants to not only observe but interact with their surroundings, leading to more realistic assessments of infrastructure and potential hazards."

CS294 VR HW1 - BLOS Bicycle Simulator

Han Wang provides an in-depth explanation of how the bicycle simulator was developed.

"Perfect addition to our STEM camp"

The bike simulator was designed to immerse users in the experience of riding in various road environments, which made it useful for UC Berkeley SafeTREC researchers to gather information on participants’ perceptions of safety and comfort. 

A major component of the CPBS mission is to support educational opportunities in STEM for K-12 children. When determining how UC Berkeley SafeTREC could best achieve this goal, Griswold reached out to Karen Frick, associate professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley and board member of Self-eSTEM.

"Once I learned about Self-eSTEM's mission, I knew that this camp would be a great collaboration opportunity," Griswold said. "Our bike simulator was initially created for research purposes, but I saw how the simulator would also be a great tool for the Innovators to have fun while learning more about how STEM can be used to solve real-world problems."

For the third day of the STEM Exploration Camp, Wang and undergraduate student Florance Zhang facilitated the demonstration and explained the inner workings of the simulator to about fifty Innovators. This was pivotal, Wang explains, as this initial demonstration sparked deeper conversations with the girls about VR, transportation engineering, and the potential of pursuing a STEM career.

"The Innovators’ reactions were contagious, and everyone couldn’t wait to give it a try," Ajaelo said. "A few of our Innovators had never experienced VR before, so their reactions when getting on, and especially off of the simulator were priceless! The simulator was the perfect addition to our STEM camp."

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A girl is riding the bicycle simulator, while a group of girls and a woman watch

An Innovator at the Self-eSTEM summer camp using the bike simulator.

An older girl pedals on the bicycle simulator while a younger girl wears the virtual reality headse

Two Innovators work together to pedal and view the bicycle simulator through a virtual reality headset.

Florance and Han are sitting and smiling at the camera. In the background, one girl is pedaling on the bicycle simulator and ano

Florance Zhang (left) and Han Wang (right).

"Watching them immerse themselves in a complex STEM tool like the bike simulator was a testament to how engaging technology can bridge the gap between theoretical learning and real-world applications." Wang said. "The ability to involve underrepresented communities, such as the Self-eSTEM camp, shows how we can use technology to engage and educate future generations. Beyond that, the simulator can help bridge the gap between researchers, planners, and the public, offering a more inclusive approach to transportation safety and planning."

The Self-eSTEM Early STEM Exploration Camp was co-sponsored by the UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies. Learn more about Self-eSTEM on their website.

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