Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

And you thought using the HIPerSpace wall for GTA IV was overkill. Marksman Training Systems’ ST-2 shooting simulator is touted as the “first simulator for shotgun and rifle shooting designed specifically for demanding users such as shooting instructors,” and considering that the Russian and Slovakian national clay shooting teams have practiced on this very system in preparation for the Beijing Olympics, we’ll be seeing just how effective it is here soon. Furthermore, this system allows hunters / huntresses to use their preferred weapon (via an attachable sensor) rather than some proprietary pistol, and the advanced diagnostics screen ensures that you know exactly why you missed that digital fowl. Looks like you’ll have to inquire directly about pricing, but seriously, you don’t want this taking the place of your home cinema… or do you?

[Via CrunchGear]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Never mind paying absurd quantities of cash to have some swing analyzer tell you how you’ll never be like Tiger — just pick yourself up one of these concoctions. E Ball’s inflatable golf simulator not only consumes your entire backyard, it takes you back to those glory days of frolicking at the fair with your BFF, and it even allows you to practice your game in less-than-flawless weather. The device enables amateurs to work on their driving and putting, all without having to fetch balls afterwards or deal with the embarrassment of completely hacking it up in front of your more seasoned pals. It looks as if you’ll have to ring up E Ball in order to get pricing details, but we don’t envision this one coming in cheap.

[Via OhGizmo]

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Filed under: Networking

Considering that mechanical beings will be fighting our real wars here in just a few years, it’s no shock to see more focus placed on the areas where actual humans will still be the ones waging. DARPA is looking to create what it calls a National Cyber Range, which would essentially act as a training ground for cyber warriors. The setup would enable defense gurus to simulate battle against attacks our on nation’s most highly prized data, and of course, give victors over virtual phishing scams immense bragging rights. Come to think of it, Estonia could have totally benefited from something like this last year.

[Via Information Week, image courtesy of Sandia]

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Filed under: Gaming

While most of the cool kids are off whizzing around courses in Mario Kart Wii, the gurus at Force Dynamics are reminiscing about the one that started it all. Apparently the firm has tweaked its 301 motion platform to actually control the kart in the SNES hit, and the rider’s chair even leaps up along with Mario, Peach or any other jumping character you choose. Sure, it’s missing those absolutely brain-melting Wii graphics (but not by much, if you catch our drift), but we’d probably take a ride in this over an hour with the Wii Wheel any day. Check out the full video waiting after the break.

Continue reading Force Dynamics 301 driving simulator takes on Super Mario Kart

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Filed under: Robots

Wondering just how we mere mortals were going to even give a robot enough smarts to completely overtake our societies? Oddly enough, some of that artificial brain power could come from studying the way fruit flys, um, fly. A completely bizarre flight simulator at Caltech actually plays “scenes” that flys react to, and considering that the fly is constantly held, researchers can closely examine how the insect attempts to navigate away from lines, blobs and all manners of incoming obstacles. Those working with the installation suggest that these studies could one day help autonomous robots function better, potentially taking some of the load off of our human workforce. We know, you’ve got three bold letters and a question mark running through your noggin right now — just hit the read link to see what it’s all about.

[Thanks, Dave]

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Filed under: Transportation

Simulators similar to the one recently unveiled to the world by Toyota aren’t all that uncommon, but this 4.5-meter high pod is “the first to move laterally and has the longest range of 35-meters front to back and 20-meters from right to left.” Reportedly, the automaker plans to use its newest toy to “analyze driving characteristics under various conditions such as drunkenness and drowsiness” and subsequently decide what new safety features should be added to its fleet of motorcars. More specifically, the device enables researchers to “conduct driving tests that would be too dangerous to perform in the real world or that require specific driving conditions,” and we’re pretty sure the 360-degree concave video screen is quite the draw, too. Unfortunately, we have little faith that you’ll ever see a tamed version of this here simulator at your local arcade, but one can hope, we suppose.

[Via Yahoo / Reuters, image courtesy of Tech.co.uk]

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