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Centre for Digital Built Britain completed its five-year mission and closed its doors at the end of September 2022

This website remains as a legacy of the achievements of our five-year foundational journey towards a digital built Britain
 

Using the principles of universal design, this project aims to create a VR environment that reduces usability issues such as balance in order to test virtual built environment designs with users who have a balance or sensory impairment.

Outcomes

This project developed low-cost virtual reality hardware and software, using off-the-shelf sensors and an open source games engine to create a complex environment for a user to walk in. Importantly, the project tested the feasibility of measuring a user’s movement response and enabled the collection of high-fidelity movement data alongside low-cost motion capture sensors. This will enable different scenarios to be tested on participants who have a sensory or balance impairment, as well as those without, in order to ensure the built environment is designed with neurodiversity in mind.

Method

  • Literature review
  • Prototyping
  • Experimental
     

Next Steps

This technology would require more user testing with the intended user groups and further development before wider adoption.

Project Status

This project was completed in 2018

Publications