Category: Simulation Technology

Being safe: no accidents, no damaged equipment, no personal injury (or worse). And that’s why a good lift truck operator is always, first and foremost, safe, so the right kind of training simulation should emphasize learning-to-be-safe. But what does that mean? The fact is, everyone learns everything by making mistakes. (...)

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 (...)

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 (...)

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, (...)

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 (...)

Starting with the “Link Trainer” back in 1929, motion has been an important part of simulation to help train pilots to fly airplanes. And that’s why a “Full Flight Simulator” is equipped with a motion base that moves in all directions, to create sufficient realism. Nonetheless, many years of (military) (...)

The simulation of real-world work starts with how things look. That’s simulation graphics. For example, the various parts of the simulated lift truck should have the right shapes and sizes, in the right proportions. And when the (simulated) sun shines, it should cast (simulated) shadows that look like real ones. (...)

Oh, that’s just a video game. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard that comment, when someone stops at our trade show booth. But training simulation is not a video game. Here’s why. About “Fun” and “Work” and “Serious Games” In his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (...)