Speed for joy: car racing simulator teaches accident-free driving

Russian specialists have created a hardware and software complex simulating car racing. It is designed for students of technical specialties, who will practice repair skills on models of various cars, and students of sports universities. Future racers will practice accident-free driving skills on six virtual polygons with different configurations and types of coatings. Read more about the development - in the material "Izvestia".

Domestic simulator of auto racing

Russian developers with the support of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of Moscow have created a hardware and software complex, simulating auto racing for students of technical specialties. The department told Izvestia that the innovation is included in the program of additional professional education of the Ministry of Education.

The hardware and software complex from GameSTUL, developed on the basis of domestic equipment, is universal, which allows it to be used in different areas of training. Students of sports universities can use the program to prepare for racing competitions and practice emergency driving skills. For this purpose, the program provides six virtual polygons with different configurations and types of coatings.

- The realism and credibility of the simulator depends on the details. For example, the grid of protection of the pilot's head and body, as in reality, fluctuates from the oncoming air flow. And the amplitude depends on the speed of the car. This function is realized with the help of dynamic material, tied to the physical model of the engine. Therefore, the visual difference when changing the car from simulator to real and back will be even less noticeable for pilots, - explained "Izvestia" CEO of the company "Game Systems" Alexander Kazmin.

And engineering students test 3D models of cars on virtual tracks.

In addition to software and manipulators, the extended version of the complex includes a dynamic platform with a special version of the game chair that simulates longitudinal, transverse and vertical overloads. The technology has been successfully used at Moscow Polytechnic Institute, Russian University of Sport "GTSOLIFK", Moscow State University of Sport and Tourism and many others. From 2025, the complex will be used to equip the capital's schools and universities.

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Simulator for piloting airplanes

Recently, the developers also presented a simulator for piloting an airplane, created on the basis of a successful car simulator. They expect that in the near future it can also be used in educational and technical institutions, to learn the basic principles of piloting aircraft.

Photo: Gaming Systems

Despite the fact that car simulators in Russia are still a niche genre, due to the high cost of equipment, the situation is gradually changing, Vasily Ovchinnikov, head of the Video Game Industry Development Organization (VDI), told Izvestia. Also, several domestic companies are already actively working on the creation of such games and simulators. CarX Technology stands out among them, as well as GoRace and SMP eSport, which confidently declare their ambitions and are ready to occupy their niche in the future.

- We have long been promoting the development of driving simulators in Russia and believe that their introduction into educational institutions, such as schools and universities, can be an important step forward. For example, holding competitions between schoolchildren on simulators could not only make the process of teaching safe driving fun, but also allow students to learn these skills more quickly. The game format is easier and more effective than traditional lessons," he said.

It is especially important that the simulator from GameSTUL is being developed on the domestic Unigine engine, which is included in the Ministry of Digital Economy's Register of Domestic Software. This makes the project not only ambitious, but also significant in terms of popularization of Russian technologies, said Vasily Ovchinnikov.

It is very important to understand that we are talking about a simulator of exclusively racing tracks, race tracks and karting and car racing mode. That is, this practice is rarely used in real life, emphasized Alexander Gorbachenko, director of the Intercontinental Cybersports League, lecturer of the cybersports department of Synergy University.

- You can't think that now we will learn how to drive a car on a snowy road. In fact, everything is not so obvious. There should be training programs for user instructors, i.e. there is still quite a big layer of work to be done," he said.

The development has been tested underthe pilot testing program of the Moscow Innovation Agency, subordinate to the capital's Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.