VR Crime Scene Simulator

My Role	UX Researcher
Team	Anaga (Me), Ashley, Dhwani, and Ishitha (My teammates) Ron Brumbarger (Client)
Duration	1 month
Tools Used	Figma and Zoom, Google Docs
Methods Implemented	User Interview, Field Study, Stakeholder Communication, User Testing, Think Aloud Protocol, System Usability Scale (SUS), AR/VR Prototyping
Prototype Video Link	Click here

Overview

This project was part of our IoT Business Innovation course. We designed a platform that uses AI to generate 360° VR crime scene simulation and summarize uploaded case files. The goal was to turn fragmented data into an immersive, organized, and searchable experience for detectives.

Problem Space

Detectives often rely on disjointed case files typed notes, audio interviews, and physical reports to solve complex crimes. This manual and fragmented system makes it difficult to draw connections between cases, maintain scene accuracy, and collaborate with teams.

❝ There’s so much data, I don’t even know what I’m missing ❞ - Brian Lambert, Homicide Investigator, IMPD

The Solution

Our Design Process

Empathize

We started off with User Interviews to gain an understanding of the target audience.

Research Goals:

1. To understand the current workflows, pain points, and unmet needs of law enforcement professionals involved in crime scene investigation.

2. To validate the market demand and feasibility for a solution that caters to their needs.

   
   

We conducted user interviews with:

• A Detective Sergeant from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD)

• A Lead Researcher from Team Monocles (Client)

• A patrol officer from IMPD to understand cross-collaboration between detectives and police officers during crime scene investigation

  
  

Key Insights from the interviews:

• Case information was scattered and non-searchable

• Delayed documentation of notes and audio

• Lack of cross-case pattern recognition

• Difficulty in recalling crime scenes accurately over time

These insights shaped our understanding of the environment, workflow, and critical pain points in investigative processes.

Define

Using the data gathered from the previous phase, we defined our user persona, Robert Freeman, a 40-year-old homicide detective with 15 years of experience in solving cold case murders.

Problem Statement

As a detective managing multiple cases, I want to organize case files while visualizing crime scenes, so I can improve efficiency and catch critical links across investigations.

Ideation & Initial Concepts

We brainstormed and evaluated 3 core ideas:

1. SargeAI: An AI note analyzer and assistant

2. Grayson: A voice-to-text case summarizer

3. Scene Scanner: A VR-based crime scene re-creation tool

   
   

Scene Scanner emerged as the most immersive and scalable idea, solving the need for spatial memory, visual connection, and collaborative evidence interaction.

Prototyping and Testing

We built a VR prototype using a combination of:

• 360° scene walkthroughs

• Clickable, context-rich evidence

• Event timelines & annotations

  
  

Mid-fidelity Wireframe Prototype

Iterations Based on Feedback

• Removed complex scenario simulations (too time-intensive for real-world use)

• Added comment feature within VR for notes

• Streamlined prompts for missing evidence or follow-up tasks

Testing Methods

Results

What our participants had to say about our prototype:

❝ I love the idea of being able to walk through the scene and pull up relevant reports.❞

❝ It’s convenient to see everything I’m working on as soon as I open the system.❞

Final Prototype Walkthrough Video

Business Model

Impact

Reflection

Context is Everything!

This project reaffirmed the power of contextual research and field testing in high-stakes environments. Our design helped law enforcement revisit, rethink, and reveal key insights, without being tech-overwhelmed.

What I Learned:

• Field interviews helped surface deep, unspoken frustrations that surveys would have missed

• Think-Aloud + SUS gave quick, actionable usability insights, even from a single key user

• Designing for trust and simplicity was just as important as using cutting-edge tech