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.
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 (...)
Apr 14
2025
2025
Operating heavy equipment typically requires the coordinated use of both hands and feet to move levers, joysticks, steering wheels, and pedals. For that reason, simulated work that “mimics” real work can truly help develop the skills required to operate heavy equipment [links to the blog categories “Simulation for Training” and (...)
Feb 17
2025
2025
The world is changing. Every day, you can see doughnut shops where there used to be farms. But why is this important for heavy equipment operator training?
Jul 17
2024
2024
The world is full of “work” that requires interaction between two people, and I’ll use tennis as a simple example. Playing tennis requires two people, but you learn to play tennis by yourself, at least at the start, with coaching help: how to hold the racket properly, how to hit (...)