The Design of an Electro-Mechanical Bicycle for an Immersive Virtual Environment

Roughly 50,000 people are injured in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles each year, approximately 6,000 of these injuries involve children less than 14 years old. To better understand which factors put bicycling children at risk for motor vehicle collisions, researchers at the University of Iowa built a virtual environment that simulates the experience of riding through a town and crossing roads with motor vehicles traffic. The stationary bicycle, the focus of this report, replicates the pedal forces experienced by a rider. The stationary bike also provides the simulator with the bicycle’s velocity and steering angle. This report describes the design of the system, which features a flywheel designed to represent the rider and bike inertia, the mechanical linkages between the rider and an electric motor, and a system to measure steering angles. The bicycle has been built and tested and is currently in use in the virtual environment

Improved Safety and Efficiency of Protected/Permitted Right Turns for Bicycles in the Pacific Northwest

DTRT13-G-UTC40Conflict between bicycles and right-turning vehicles on the approaches to intersections is a critical safety concern in urban environments. To understand the safety and operational implications of using protected-permitted right turns (PPRT), a full-scale bicycling simulator experiment was performed. The velocity and lateral position of bicyclists were evaluated during conflicts between bicycles and right-turning vehicles. Two independent variables were analyzed: the signal indication for right-turning vehicles (circular red or green, solid red or green arrow and flashing yellow arrow) and the pavement markings in the conflict area (white lane markings with no supplemental pavement color and white lane markings with solid green pavement applied in the conflict area). Forty-eight participants (24 women and 24 men) completed the experiment. Signal indications and pavement markings had statistically significant effects on bicycle velocity and lateral position, but these effects varied at different levels of the independent variables. Use of PPRT phasing in conjunction with colored pavement markings was associated with increased bicyclist conflict with right-turning vehicles, whereas PPRT phasing with no supplemental colored pavement markings was associated with improved bicyclist safety. The results provide guidance to transportation professionals about how traffic control devices could be applied to conflict areas before signalized intersections

Perception of safety of cyclists in Dublin city

In recent years, cycling has been recognized and is being promoted as a sustainable mode of travel. The perception of cycling as an unsafe mode of travel is a significant obstacle in increasing the mode share of bicycles in a city. Hence, it is important to identify and analyze the factors which influence the safety experiences of the cyclists in an urban signalized multi-modal transportation network. Previous researches in the area of perceived safety of cyclists primarily considered the influence of network infrastructure and operation specific variables and are often limited to specific locations within the network. This study explores the factors that are expected to be important in influencing the perception of safety among cyclists but were never studied in the past. These factors include the safety behavior of existing cyclists, the users of other travel modes and their attitude toward cyclists, facilities and network infrastructures applicable to cycling as well as to other modes in all parts of an urban transportation network. A survey of existing cyclists in Dublin City was conducted to gain an insight into the different aspects related to the safety experience of cyclists. Ordered Logistic Regression (OLR) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used in the analysis of survey responses. This study has revealed that respondents perceive cycling as less safe than driving in Dublin City. The new findings have shown that the compliance of cyclists with the rules of the road increase their safety experience, while the reckless and careless attitudes of drivers are exceptionally detrimental to their perceived safety. The policy implications of the results of analysis are discussed with the intention of building on the reputation of cycling as a viable mode of transportation among all network users.postprin

Technology Integration in School-Based Physical Activity

The purpose of this study was to understand the current practice of technology use for physical activity promotion in K-12 schools in the United States by conducting two studies. Using a quantitative research design, study one aimed to identify the current practice of technology use in school-based physical activity promotion. Study two investigated what attributes contribute to the use of technology in schools for physical activity facilitation and promotion. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was used for study two, and Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory served this study as a theoretical framework. A total of 367 registered Active Schools Champions completed the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Technology Practice Questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ) and the Diffusion of Innovations Questionnaire for studies one and two, respectively. Semi-structured interviews were additionally conducted with ten purposefully selected participants for study two. For study one, the data were analyzed using several statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation analysis with χ2 test, and multiple regression. For study two, quantitative data (i.e., survey data) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data (i.e., results from semi-structured interviews) were analyzed inductively using open and axial coding. The results of study one showed that various technologies are currently used in schoolbased physical activity, and physical education is the timeslot where technology is most used by school staff for physical activity facilitation and promotion in K-12 schools. Among various personal characteristics, race and certified/licensed teacher status were significant predictors of technology use among various school staff for physical activity promotion in schools, while school characteristics did not predict the school use of technology for school-based physical activity promotion. Study two found that school staff are more likely to use technology when they see the ease and simplicity of new technology and after testing out new technology before committing to using it. Furthermore, personal experiences with technology greatly affect their perceptions of using technology in school-based physical activity facilitation and promotion. However, there are multiple barriers to using technology in school-based physical activity, and school staff, especially physical education teachers, believe that the barriers occur due to the marginalization of physical education in school communities. Although school staff see the benefits of technology use for school-based physical activity promotion in general, they also see some risk factors and concerns. This dissertation generated findings that could contribute to the field of physical education teacher education (PETE) and public health in multiple ways. The generated data on the current practice of technology use in school-based physical activity facilitation and promotion can be used by schools, school districts, professional organizations for teachers (e.g., Society of Health and Physical Educators [SHAPE] America), and government agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of Education) to enhance resources, equipment, and facilities for the use of technology in schools. Furthermore, this dissertation fills an existing knowledge gap by investigating and determining what characteristics of schools and their staff predict the use of technology for school-based physical activity promotion and what attributes and experiences contribute to the same. This information can be used to inform professional development efforts and better support student physical activity in school communities. PETE and public health researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers will be able to use the results of this dissertation to better understand technology use in school-based physical activity promotion

Evaluation of Participation and Environments for Individuals with Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project Bailey

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: What measures are available to evaluate participation and environmental supports and barriers for individuals with disabilities and what are their psychometric properties

Program and Abstracts Celebration of Student Scholarship, 2015

Program and Abstracts from the Celebration of Student Scholarship on April 22, 2015

Learning to cycle : the influence of individual constraints and of the training bicycle

The present thesis aimed to investigate an important motor milestone in children’s life, the process of learning to cycle, more specifically to: 1) systematically review the intervention programs for learning to cycle; 2) investigate different constraints that influence this learning process; 3) create and implement a learning to cycle intervention, and compare the learning process between the balance bike (BB) and the bicycle with lateral training wheels (BTW); 4) analyse the BB’s cycling patterns and investigate if velocity is a control parameter; 5) compare the motor variability during the learning process with BB and BTW. The methodology included a systematic review, one web-survey, a longitudinal intervention, and two cross-sectional studies. The systematic review pointed that it should be adopted a progressive cycle learning strategy, primarily using training bicycles and simpler exercises. The survey identified differences in the age of learning to cycle (ALC) according to the: training bicycle used, with the BB's approach revealing the lowest ALC; birth decade, which has decreased since 1970-79; physical activity, with people more active learning to cycle earlier; and birth order, with the younger children learning earlier than only children. The “L2Cycle” program was applied to 25 children (6.08±1.19 years), having a success rate of 88% (100%-BB, 75%-BTW). BB’s children needed fewer days to cycle independently (self-launch, ride and brake). Seven BB’s cycle patterns were categorized. After six sessions, children explored more cycling patterns and increased their global velocities. The results support that velocity is a probable control parameter. During the learning process, the BB allowed a greater motor variability than the BTW, leading to a faster adaptation to the traditional bicycle, which is a potential reason for its greater learning efficiency.Esta tese teve como objetivo investigar um importante marco motor na vida da criança, o processo de aprender a andar de bicicleta, visando especificamente: 1) rever sistematicamente os programas de intervenção para fomentar esta aprendizagem; 2) investigar os diferentes constrangimentos que influenciam esta aprendizagem; 3) criar e implementar um programa de aprendizagem, comparando o processo de aprendizagem entre a bicicleta de equilíbrio (BE) e bicicleta com rodas laterais (BRL); 4) analisar os padrões de motores que existem na BE e investigar se a velocidade é um parâmetro de controlo; 5) comparar a variabilidade motora durante a aprendizagem com a BE e BRL. A metodologia incluiu uma revisão sistemática, um inquérito online, uma intervenção longitudinal e dois estudos transversais. A revisão sistemática apontou que deve ser adotada uma estratégia de aprendizagem progressiva, utilizando primeiramente bicicletas de treino e exercícios mais simples. O inquérito verificou diferenças na idade de aprendizagem (IA) de acordo com: a bicicleta de treino, com a abordagem da BE a revelar menor IA; década de nascimento, a qual decresceu desde 1970-79; atividade física, com pessoas mais ativas a aprendem mais cedo e; ordem de nascimento, com o irmão mais novo a aprender mais cedo que o filho único. O programa de aprendizagem “L2Cycle” foi aplicado a 25 crianças (6,08±1,19anos), revelando um sucesso de 88% (100%-BE, 75%-BRL). As crianças da BE necessitaram de menos dias para andar de bicicleta autonomamente (iniciar, pedalar em equilíbrio e travar). Foram categorizados sete padrões motores na BE. Após seis sessões as crianças exploraram mais padrões e aumentaram as suas velocidades globais. Os resultados suportam que a velocidade é um provável parâmetro de controlo. Durante a aprendizagem, a BE induziu uma maior variabilidade motora que a BRL, levando a adaptação mais rápida à bicicleta tradicional, o que é uma potencial razão para a sua maior eficiência de aprendizagem

Sociotechnical co-production of planning information : opportunities and limits of crowdsourcing for the geography and planning of bicycle transportation

Urban planners deploy civic technologies to engage publics with digital tools in a relative vacuum of theory, understanding of challenges, or benefits. The issue, Lewis Mumford might have framed, could be of authoritarian and democratic technics—whether the technology contributes more to top-down control or bottom-up understanding. Building from collaborative planning theory, co-production suggests ways people can leverage technologies to build urban solutions with or without professional planners. Empirical research shows that crowdsourcing to address planning questions with digital civic platforms can help fill or mitigate information gaps, including support for bicycling as a safe and comfortable travel mode. However, no research has addressed how crowdsourced information for bicycle planning offers new insights for safety, the geography of participation, or how its social construction impacts its representation of bicycling in a community. A new framework for evaluating co-productive planning is proposed, considering legitimacy, accessibility, social learning, transparency, and representation (LASTR). This dissertation addresses these concerns of safety, geography, and social construction through the LASTR framework using mixed-methods case studies in Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas. Bicycle volumes and street ratings through the crowdsourcing platform, along with geographic information system environmental data, and interviews with thirty-three informants form the basis for evaluating these issues. Viewed from pragmatism and social construction of technology, the social processes of planning and technological developments are intertwined and traced in tandem. The first three chapters frame the problems, build a background in theory, and describe the research questions, planning contexts, and data for analysis. The next three chapters are empirical, evaluating the use of crowdsourced information for bicycle safety, comparing the geography of crowdsourced participation with in-person meetings from both cities’ most recent bicycle planning process, and tracing the sociotechnical representation of crowdsourcing bicyclist information through interviews and case materials. The final chapter summarizes the findings and implications for practice and research. This dissertation shows that the biased representation of bicycling in these two crowdsourcing cases pose opportunities to identify safer bicycling routes and expand public participation geographies, but could exacerbate problems with aligning public improvements with the users of a specific technological approach. Further, the construct of crowdsourcing for urban planning remains flexible and therefore merits further study and knowledge transfer for practitioners and students.Community and Regional Plannin