When it comes to simulators, most of them are there to help us experience something similar to what the actual feeling is like, such as a flying simulator or a driving simulator. These tools are meant to teach, but what happens when you take the word simulator and add an interesting twist to it? This is exactly what Ford did with the Virttex – short for Virtual Text Track Experiment Cockpit Simulator). The Virttex can be deemed to be a driver distraction simulator, helping create scenarios where an accidental crash will happen.
It works in very much the same way as that of a simulator for pilots, where this domed virtual world on pitching and sliding stilts has seen action since the turn of the latest century to test car cockpits and instruments. It has also been used to research more into what are the factors involved in causing driver inattention, as well as help Ford engineers figure out the kind of countermeasures that can be implemented into their cars so that lives need not be snuffed out needlessly. Ford should be proud to know that they are the only auto manufacturer in the US who possess a virtual reality simulator of this magnitude.
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