From: Robin Hollands <R.Hollands@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: INDUSTRY:  Successful VR Apps
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 15:52:21 +0000
Message-ID: <32AC35B5.25F7@shef.ac.uk>
Organization: Automatic Control & Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield 


> 
> Check out http://www.virtuality.com We have implemented several VR
> applications for clients.  The best example of which is probably the
> Kawasaki Motorbike simulator.  There is a new law in Japan requiring
> riders to take simulator training before they can pass their test.
> The beauty of this system is that without the HMD you could never do a
> good m/c simulator.  If you are a rider you know that being aware of
> your surroundings, looking over your shoulder before overtaking, etc
> is critical to your continued survival!  Immersion is everything.


 I am a long time m/c rider, and I know there's a lot more to the
process than just good visuals. I once saw an amusement m/c ride where
the player sat on a model bike which tilted as it went around a
corner. One of my biker friends went on the machine and as the bike
turned the first corner he fell off! The point is that on a real
motorcycle you have centripetal force opposing the tilt, so that it
feels similar to being upright, just a little heavier. Since
motorcycle riding is very much 'seat of the pants', relying a great
deal on almost every sensation, and affected by even relatively small
movements of the rider, how does the Virtuality system reproduce
these?

Cheers,

Robin

Email: r.hollands@sheffield.ac.uk
WWW:   http://www.shef.ac.uk/~vrmbg/staff/rjh/rjh.html
BOOK:  http://www.shef.ac.uk/~vrmbg/vrhmhb/vrhmhb.html