pacific nw transportation consortium region 10 Pactrans

Spatial Analysis of Accessible Seating Area on the Next Generation Passenger Rail Cars Using 3-D Modeling and Virtual Reality

PI: K.M. Hunter-Zaworski (OSU), hunterz@engr.orst.edu, ORCID: 0000-0001-5042-3667

Co PIs: none

AMOUNT & MATCH: $25,000 from PacTrans; $25,000 Match

PERFORMANCE PERIOD: 8/16/2017 – 8/15/2019

STATUS: Completed

CATEGORIES: Accessibility of the Disabled, Spatial Analysis, Rail, Modeling

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DESCRIPTION: The original research that is proposed is to use 3-D modeling tools, anthropometric digital human models, and virtual reality to design and evaluate passenger rail environments for inclusivity and safety while also considering design constraints for vehicle builders and operators. By itself, 3-D modeling provides a means of digitally evaluating design feasibility of potential accommodations. Including anthropometric human models into early phases of design then accounts for human factors and ergonomic factors as well, however a physical mockup would still be required to access validity and target user opinion. It is proposed that creating a virtual reality environment based on evaluated 3-D models and using it for human subject evaluation will create a framework that eliminates the need for a potentially expensive and time-consuming physical mockup. Using digital evaluation would also permit the inclusion of analysis for many different types of WhMD, design scenarios, and anthropometric users within the same space. It is anticipated that one of the results of this project will be a framework for using 3-D modeling and virtual reality to evaluate and test spatial consumption, feasibility, human factors, and human-environment interaction on other modes of rail travel as well, for example transit and light rail vehicles.