This REU project focuses on developing a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) car driving simulation using Unity, where participants can drive collaboratively through a digitally reconstructed downtown Louisville environment. The project integrates VR, game engines, GIS-based city modeling, vehicle dynamics, and multiplayer networking. The project exposes students to cutting-edge immersive technologies relevant to smart cities, transportation systems, human-centered computing, and simulation-based research. The virtual environment will include 3D-rendered scenes from downtown Louisville and outdoor locations that reflect real-world patrol settings to enable local police officers to train in geographically familiar and contextually relevant environments. (see sample snapshots in Fig. 1)
Fig. 1: Sample snapshots of the VR environment.