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From: lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (a.k.a. Chri)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Information, studies, etc. WANTED
Message-ID: <1991Apr5.185706.14409@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 5 Apr 91 15:58:57 GMT
References: <1991Apr1.224639.3797@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
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Organization: Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene
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reyy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes:

>[...]  Specifically, I am studying whether or not it would
>be possible to simulate driving a car (applications being
>teaching driver education, simulating potentially dangerous
>situations like icy conditions, etc.).

>  My request to you all, especially those people who have
>done extensive research in this field, is to 

>(1) point me
>in the direction of published studies or even progress
>reports on recent experiments and advancements, and 

My recommendation would be to contact the folks at Atari (the parlor
video game section, *not* the home video game section).  They have a
couple of driving simulators out called "Hard Drivin'" and "Race
Drivin'" which provide enjoyable and fairly realistic simulations of
driving cars at high speeds over different terrains (including some
mountain roads).  Since these are video games, their aim is pleasure
more than realism, but I find that they are much more realistic than
the driving "simulators" at high schools (you know, the kind that have
a movie screen and a fake cockpit, and the screen shows a left turn
while you turn right...blech).  

The Atari simulators provide real-time color vector graphics,
stick-shift or automatic shifting, a front display, stereo sound,
feedback through the steering wheel, cars driving in the same lane and
the opposing lane, and different car types (although I can't tell much
difference between them).  Both Atari driving simulators are much more
realistic than any other commercial simulator I have used (although I
haven't been able to try a BattleTech simulator yet!). 
 
>(2)
>maybe extend personal opinions or comments about my idea
>(obviously I can't cite those, but it'll give me a feel
>for what I'm in for, as I haven't even scratched this surface).

The idea sounds great.  The simulators I used to learn to drive were
wretched and boring.  Something like the Atari driving simulators
would not only be more realistic, but the students would likely enjoy
learning on them more, especially if they were put in challenging
situations (say, drive wheels breaking free on a front-wheel drive car
while cruising on glare ice).  Besides, the companies developing the
driving software could become very profitable if they had a large
market like driver education to cater to.
 
                                                .oO Chris Oo.

-- 
Christopher Lishka 608-262-4485     It is not safe out here.  It is wonderous,
Wisconsin State Lab. of Hygiene     with treasures to satiate desires both
   lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu        subtle and gross.  But it is not for the
   uunet!uwvax!uwslh!lishka         timid. -- Q