A simulation is an imitation of some real thing or process. Simulation can be used to show the unfolding and eventual real effects of alternative conditions and courses of action or inaction. Simulations are used in many contexts, including the modeling of natural or human systems, in order to gain (or provide) insight into their functioning. Contexts in which simulation is used include performance optimization of a wide range of technologies, safety engineering, testing, training and education.
A computer simulation is an attempt to model a real-life or hypothetical situation on a computer so that, among others, it can be studied to see how the system works. By changing variables, predictions may be made about the behavior of the system. Computer simulation is often used as an adjunct to, or substitution for, modeling systems for which simple closed form analytic solutions are not possible.
Simulation, particularly computer simulation, is often used in training. This includes the training of civilians as well as military personnel. This often occurs when it is prohibitively expensive or too dangerous to allow trainees to use real equipment in the real world. In such situations they spend time learning valuable lessons in a “safe” virtual environment. Often the convenience is to permit exploration, mistakes, and exposure to rare events during training for a safety-critical system.
For example, a flight simulator is used to train pilots on the ground. It permits a pilot to “crash” a simulated “aircraft” without harming the instructor, pilot and aircraft. Flight simulators are often used to train pilots to operate aircraft in extremely hazardous situations, such as landings with no engines, or complete electrical or hydraulic failures. The most advanced simulators have high-fidelity visual systems and hydraulic motion systems. The simulator is normally cheaper to operate than a real aircraft (fuel, wear and tear, removing aircraft from revenue generating service).
Bearing resemblance to flight simulators, marine simulators train a ship's personnel. Simulators like these are mostly used to simulate large or complex vessels, such as cruise ships, dredging ships, or submarines. They often consist of a replication of a ships' bridge, with operating console(s), and a number of screens on which the virtual surroundings are projected.
Strategy games—both traditional and modern—may be viewed as simulations of abstracted decision-making for the purpose of training military and political leaders. Many video games are also simulators.
Medical simulators are increasingly being developed and deployed to teach therapeutic and diagnostic procedures as well as medical concepts and decision making to personnel in the health professions. Simulators have been developed for training procedures ranging from the basics such as blood draw, to laparoscopic surgery and trauma care.
Some medical simulations are developed to be widely distributed (such as web-enabled simulations that can be viewed via standard web browsers) and can be interacted with using standard computer interfaces, such as the keyboard and mouse.
Computer simulations have the advantage of allowing a student to make judgments, and also to make errors and learn from these errors. The process of iterative learning through assessment, evaluation, decision making, and error correction creates a much stronger learning environment than passive instruction.
Thus, realistic interactive simulations can be an important tool for learning difficult, dangerous, rare or not currently accessible information. Simulations can be performed to learn a task, play a game, and even to take a tour of a particular location. One problem encountered in implementing display-based or screen based simulations is the ability to provide the desired information within the finite space of a display such as a computer screen. Some approaches involve using a coarse image resolution in order to provide an extensive environment on one screen. Another approach, when finer resolution is required and only a smaller portion of the environment can be displayed on the screen at a given time, involves splitting a representation of an entire environment into multiple graphical representations. Navigation between various windows of an environment that has been split into multiple graphical representations is generally required for simulating an extensive functional environment. Unfortunately, splitting a representation of an entire environment into multiple graphical representations may introduce the need for pull-down menus and navigation between the various windows that (a) reduce user friendliness of the graphical user interface, (b) interfere with the flow of the simulation, (c) interrupt the suspension of disbelief necessary for a user to get immersed in a simulation, and (d) degrade the user's perception of the spatial relationship between the different component views of the entire simulated system and interfere with situational awareness.
Alternatively, a collage or patchwork of graphics representing different parts of an environment has been crammed onto a single screen. Sometimes these disparate graphics may confusingly be at different scales or taken from different perspectives and viewing angles and rendered in different formats, potentially making it difficult for users to appreciate the position, size and appearance of the components relative to each other.
Accordingly, there is a need for a dynamic, interactive simulation system having excellent resolution and yet extensive scope and minimally interrupted suspension of disbelief.