# Driving sim that uses your actual car?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 11, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477 "2010-01-11T04:06:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/1 "2010-01-11T04:06:59Z")

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I remember seeing on a show about a driving simulation where you hop in your car and drive in it… basically there is a big screen in front of you and it senses the speed on your tyres and also your steering I guess. So what is it called? I’d like to try it in Brisbane or Sydney. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/2 "2010-01-11T05:28:55Z")

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I think you must be remembering this wrong. It sounds incredibly impractical. You would have to have a computer in your car in your car with sensors hooked up to all the controls, and you would have to de-couple all the controls from the engine, wheels etc. (or else you would be driving into stuff). I expect there are driving simulators with mock-ups of a real car’s controls -certainly ther are flight simulators like that, with mock cockpits - but they are are bound to be very expensive.

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**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/3 "2010-01-11T06:01:34Z")

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I’m certain I’m remembering this right. And for the tyres they had rollers that would spin at high rpm’s. I think it was on an Australian show called “Beyond” or something (the show used to be called “Beyond 2000”) The setup probably was quite rare since the show is about cutting edge stuff from the future.  
So anyway, it just needs rollers for the wheels and it would need a sensor for turning left and right (but I don’t remember them saying that). You don’t need any other sensors.

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/4 "2010-01-11T06:05:03Z")

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Like this?

[http://www.drivesquare.com/home/](http://www.drivesquare.com/home/)

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/5 "2010-01-11T06:19:36Z")

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> [@GreasyJack](#):
>
> Like this?
> 
> [Driving Simulators for Safety Training, DUI&Texting Driving Prevention](http://www.drivesquare.com/home/)

I remember seeing it as well and it was more of an indoor setting with a huge screen in front of the windshield. The car sat on rollers and you actually drove it, engine running etc, but it didn’t go anywhere. Think of an unpowered treadmill for a car.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/6 "2010-01-11T06:21:25Z")

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[This looks like it.](http://www.tagsystems.com.au/)

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**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-sim-that-uses-your-actual-car/524477/7 "2010-01-11T06:23:36Z")

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Yep… thanks everyone… this messageboard is great