Simlog Blog
Simulation for training, as we know it today, began back in 1934 when Ed Link sold his “Pilot Maker” to the (USA) Army Air Corps to help train people to fly the first airplanes. But simulation for training people to operate heavy equipment in forestry, construction, mining, and material handling, continues to be something “new”, and so this blog is meant to help you learn more.
The fact is, after more than 25 years as Simlog’s President (and Founder), and 15 years of work before that in engineering and university research, I’ve developed a unique perspective on what’s really important (and what’s not), and so I hope that you’ll find these entries informative.
Paul Freedman, Ph.D., P. Eng.
Feb 17
2026
2026
There is increasing interest in using “Virtual Reality” (VR) Headsets such as Meta’s “Quest”, HTC’s “Vive”, and Varjo’s “XR” for simulator-based training [1]. The idea: when you turn your head, movement is detected by “head-tracking” electronics in the VR Headset, and then what you see on the two small displays (...)
Feb 10
2026
2026
Everyone knows what a “forklift” is, right?  Sure, something that you “drive” like a car: you’re sitting down, the seatbelt’s engaged, there are forks out in front, there is a steering wheel (although it turns the two wheels at the back), and there are pedals to make things move. More (...)
Oct 27
2025
2025
As described in [1], learning any new skill, riding a bike or operating a lift truck, takes place in three stages: First, you work to understand what needs to be done, and focus on doing your best while avoiding “gross mistakes”, i.e. being careful. Later, after sufficient practice, you make (...)
Sep 4
2025
2025
Supply chain companies are increasingly looking to forklift telemetry (sometimes called telematics) to help improve lift truck operations [1], [2], [3]. Practically, specialized devices onboard collect real-time data about where the lift truck is (and where it was), using GPS, and how it’s moving around, using motion sensors, In particular, (...)
Jun 23
2025
2025
The Problem I once had a job applicant, he could talk a cat off a fish boat. That’s what an old hand working on the Gulf Coast told me (where there are, of course, real cats and real fish boats). Sadly, a study conducted just last year [1] found that (...)