By Bryan Redeker

            Pulling into the parking lot at Ford Research and Innovation Center, my jaw dropped at all of the European Ford’s parked everywhere. It was hard to find a parking spot because I kept looking around at all of the neat stuff. European Focuses, Mondeo’s, and even some Australian Falcons. For a Ford fan, this place is like heaven. There was also a good number of Fiesta’s running around the area in all sorts of colors. I had no idea at the time, that what I was seeing was just a tip of the iceberg compared to what the rest of the day had in store. Brandon and I met up with Kristen, and headed towards the RIC building to meet the VIRTTEX simulator team.

            Walking through the main doors of the RIC, I notice the large number of flags hanging from the ceiling. I learned that each flag represents the nationality of the employees at that building which is a nice reminder that Ford is a global company. Brandon and I are greeted by the VIRTTEX simulation team, and get our first look at the control room. Computer screens, TV monitors, computers, panels full of switches, and massive glass panes that separate the control room from the simulator. Outside the control room sits a giant carbon fibre bubble that is elevated by large hydraulic cylinders. Imagine the creatures from the remake of “War of the Worlds” except paint them white, and you get the idea of it looks like. We get a technical run-down on exactly what the simulator consists of.

VIRTTEX stands for Virtual Test Track Experiment, which is a full motion simulator that provides a safe environment to test a driver’s reaction to events. The carbon fibre bubble has a full size Taurus-X placed on stanchions, and screens that cover all 360′ of the inside. There are 5 projectors that show the views around the car, including one in the back seat for the rear view mirror. Once sitting in the simulator, you forget that you are not outside on public roads. A 400hp motor powers the hydraulic cylinders that move the simulator 12 feet front, back, and side to side. The cylinders also rotate the simulator up to .6 lateral g’s of acceleration. Pitch and dive are also very realistic, so when you accelerate, the car’s nose lifts, and then does the opposite under braking. For safety, there is an accelerometer that measures the maximum amount of g-force being generated under emergency maneuvers. Exceed the g-force, and well, you will need to watch the mission video.