To the world of virtual reality now which has become a real buzz word in technology and media of the 21st Century. But VR is only a small part of the simulation industry. Out reporter Feng Xin visited one exhibition in Beijing to find out exactly what today's simulation technolgies are capable of.
A hard landing.
Few would ever want to go through such an experience in a real plane. But simulation makes it possible.
If a city plans to build a transport hub, being able to predict passenger flows and parking availability would help planners make more accurate decisions.
"The biggest value of simulation technologies is that it has extended human beings' ability to learn about the world. By using computers, we can do a lot of research that is otherwise impossible to do in the real world. This can greatly speed up the development of products and reduce costs," said Zhang Lin, president of Society for Modeling and Simulation International.
Experts say simulation technologies are being widely used in aviation, national defense, medical education and entertainment. But they are slowly becoming more mainstream because of the products designed for a virtual experience.
Now I'm flying an A320 Airbus plane. I know I'm not supposed to chit-chat. But with a simulated cabin, learning to become a captain is no longer expensive or dangerous.
Industry insiders say this type of technology has been around for more than half a century. The United States has been leading the world in both supply and demand for years, but emerging economies are now beginning to tap into the demand side at least.
"For emerging markets, global economic situations reflect the adoption of new technologies a lot, because such technologies need investment. So, markets where economic situations were good last year show very good (sales) results," said Sergey Suslov, sales director of Anylogic Simulation Software Company.
Experts say China is playing catch-up in terms of Research & Development in the field, and it really needs to start commercializing its scientific discoveries to move into the big league.
