Some people love the realism of those theme-park simulator rides. It’s almost like being there—whether “there” is outer space or the bottom of a mine. But for the folks who turn green after the first couple of lurches, the experience is less than ideal.

There’s a parallel good-news/bad-news story when it comes to the serious use of simulators in the development of new aircraft. First, the good news. High-end simulation is becoming so realistic that is can actually be used to get test pilot input on an airplane’s handling characteristics without the need for anyone to leave the ground. Programmed with the potential plane’s engineering parameters, the simulator gives pilots the “feel” of the proposed aircraft and lets designers tweak those characteristics—all before a single part is machined.

The bad news? The motion platforms in even the most advanced simulators are obviously much more limited than an actual aircraft in terms of the distance and speed with which they move, causing a variety of subtle disconnects with the projected images a pilot sees. “Visual cues are telling you one thing,” explains Dr. Grant, “and cues from your inner ear are telling you something slightly different.” At its worst, the experience can even cause a form of disorientation and nausea known as “simulator sickness.”

In a theme park simulator ride, the worst consequence is that someone loses lunch. But if you’re depending on pilot comments from a simulator to make important design decisions, those mismatches may compromise the accuracy and usefulness of that feedback.

Using high speed computing resources funded in part by the Ontario Innovation Trust, Dr. Grant is working at the problem from two angles. He’s studying human perception to determine what kinds of sensory disconnects most seriously degrade the fidelity of the simulator experience. And he’s perfecting motion platform software algorithms that minimize or eliminate those mismatches.

The result is the kind of accurate simulation that makes virtual test pilot comments and suggestions valid and future airplanes better.

Not to mention cars. Dr. Grant recently created the motion software for the world’s largest automotive simulator, owned by Toyota. Housed in a vast open building, the seven-metre simulator pod contains a full-size car. The pod tilts, turns and moves on a complex system of steel belts while video projected on the inside completes the illusion.

Feedback from “drivers” of the simulator is helping Toyota’s designers fine-tune safety systems in tomorrow’s cars—with a few good moves from Ontario.

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