From: wtangel@cais3.cais.com (Bill Angel) Subject: Re: HUMAN-FACTORS: A real, customer conceived VR app Date: 1 Nov 1996 19:39:37 GMT Message-ID: <55djlp$2j8@news2.cais.com> Organization: Sent via CAIS Internet In article <01bbc284$d87a83c0$674b2299@aeon.divelabs.com>, Peter Rothman wrote: > The gaming application >hasn't shown wide spread acceptance and there really isn't any other mass >market opportunity [for virtual reality]. Everything else is niches... Living in an urban area, I can testify to the fact that there is a genuine need to require periodic retesting of automobile drivers in the area of dealing with driving in hazardous weather conditions. Shopping malls could offer its customers, BEFORE the onset of winter, the use of a virtual reality driving simulator with which they could practice driving on roads covered with freezing rain or with snow. I realize that in the USA drivers would literally rather DIE than be compelled to continually demonstrate to the Motor Vehicle Administrations that they still possess the requisite skills to handle an automobile under adverse road conditions. A voluntary participation program might prove successful though, with drivers perhaps receiving preferential automobile insurance rates as a reward for having their skills sharpened by a virtual reality hazardous driving tutorial. -- Bill Angel wtangel@cais3.cais.com (Bill Angel)