Federal Minister for Innovation Senator Kim Carr and Deakin University have unveiled a new Universal Motion Simulator (UMS) that will take trainee pilots and drivers through their paces in a safer, cheaper and more realistic training environment than currently available elsewhere in the world.

 

“This next generation simulator uses its oversized robot arm to spin users at high speeds in any direction,” explained Professor Saeid Nahavandi, the Director of Deakin’s Centre for Intelligent Systems Research (CISR).

 

“No other simulator can provide the full experience of flying a military jet with all the gut wrenching G-forces while only seven metres off the ground.

 

“While suited for training pilots, the UMS is also the perfect platform for simulating land based vehicles including tanks and other armoured vehicles, trucks, race cars and motorbikes. Its training capabilities are endless.”

 

The University has received $1.8million in ARC/CRC grants towards the establishment of the facility that houses the UMS, including a $ 285,000 ARC Linkage-Infrastructure and Equipment Facilities Program grant in 2008.

 

ARC Linkage funding of $210,000 was recently announced for a flight simulation project starting at the CISR in 2012 and an additional $3.9million has been received from the Commonwealth to undertake security-related projects.