Inside the World's Most Advanced Driving Simulator

Back Seat Driver From inside the "car", you pretty much see the same thing you would in the real world... except it's a bit more blocky. Dvice/Charlie White

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Charlie over at Dvice got a chance to go check out the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS-1) at the University of Iowa, and take the gargantuan piece of machinery for a spin. Costing $80 million to build and requiring a building the size of a gymnasium, the NADS-1 is considered the most sophisticated driving sim in the world. The verdict? Charlie says it's the closest thing to actually driving he's experienced.

According to Charlie, the experience very much feels like a real car, because you actually sit in one--minus the wheels and engine, of course. This car is enveloped by a giant, spherical pod that projects artificial scenery all around you and is connected to a series of rails and stabilizers inside the giant warehouse.

When you accelerate, the car pushes you back against your seat. When you swerve, you move back and forth as expected. And when you brake...well, you better hope your seatbelt is working properly. And because the machine matches the simulated G-force on screen, there's no motion sickness to suffer. In short, this thing sounds awesome, and I will have one someday (when I'm a billionaire, of course). Be sure to check out Dvice for even more photos of the NADS-1.

[via Dvice]