Journal Article Abstract 4

Article:  The technological art of simulation.

Author:  Graham Whitehead

Journal:  SMPTE Journal v. 110 no. 1(Jan. 2001); pgs. 39-42

Simulation cinemas appeared in the early 1980’s.  They consisted of a large screen, a high-quality sound system, a projector, a motion-seating platform, and a mean of controlling the various show elements.  They began as a means of entertainment at amusement parks.  Today, simulation programs are used in training and even somewhat in general education.  The advancing technology of simulation has been adapted by education to teach students about real-life situations and experiences.  This article is mainly about the entertainment aspects of simulation programs, describing the type of technology required to make the programs effective in a virtual sense.  Initially, in the 1980’s, these projects were rare and limited to only large venues, where a lot of money could be made from them. However, due to the advances in technology and the lessened cost of designing these programs, the market is steadily expanding.

A true virtual experience relies on many factors, most importantly on artistic design and the essential timing of the various components of each system.  “The early cinemas almost exclusively featured live action films…and remain popular where they are shown…”  “It is the introduction and widespread adoption of computer graphics imagery which has really triggered the imagination…” (p. 2).  The hardware used in delivering and creating these programs has improved tremendously.  The digital systems used today take the audio and visual information and translate it into a series of binary digits, or bits.  The best system for this purpose is the MPEG-2.  “The real trick with a simulation experience is in being able to manipulate the technology to fool the consumer into thinking he or she is really experiencing what they are watching” (p.2).  The motion platforms in simulation cinemas accomplish this if they are programmed correctly in correspondence with the visuals of the program.  If they are not, they result in motion sickness for the viewer or an overall sloppy program.  In large cinemas, the motion effects are programmed through the seats, either hydraulically or electrically.  The sound effects are delivered through the surrounding speakers in the cinema and the visual effects are delivered through the large screen, with the aid of 3-D glasses.  This large-scale concept has advanced into a smaller version, which is administered through a helmet, gloves and body pads worn by the viewer.

I can only imagine where this form of art is headed.  So much has happened in the area of design of simulation programs over the last twenty years.  The market for this is steadily broadening with the increased desire in consumers for the experience of a realistic non-reality.  I think people are worn down by the reality around them.  They yearn for an escape into another world, which is exactly what the attractiveness of a virtual experience offers, without the dangers. Designers have incorporated the concept of simulation as a means of education only recently, and everyday, more and more is being done in that area.  Virtual simulation programs are being used to train pilots and doctors.  Simulation programs without the special motion effects are being used in schools to teach young people about real-life situations.  One can only imagine what is coming.