Advantages and Disadvantages of Driving Simulators: A Discussion

For half a century at least, each new generation of computer chip, appearing every two years or so, has provided twice as many transistors per unit cost (as predicted by Moore’s law [1]). Extrapolating the accelerating pace of technological potential, logic dictates that computational devices will be tiny and powerful by the early 2020s, giving rise to virtual-reality applications such as displays built into our eyeglasses [2]. By the 2030s, going to a website could mean entering a totally realistic and compelling virtual environment facilitated by miniature computers that interact with brain cells, and people will probably spend most of their time in virtual reality [3]. Although these prospects may sound farfetched, we can already see that virtual-reality-based applications are increasingly used in such common tasks as driving. We use driving simulators for assessment, rehabilitation, learner driver training, race-car driver training, research into safety, and for at-home entertainment and in amusement halls.