Video: Immersive Flight Simulation Dome Offers Seamless, Super-Real 360-Degree Views

Do I have to be the first one to say, "Sounds like The Matrix, man".

Props to Barco, but this seems to be like a lot of PR.

From what I understand, other aircraft simulator manufacturers have been doing this for many many years (CAE, for example). Barco might have made many incremental improvements, but this is not some magic revolutionary product.

Plus, based on the video presented above, the dome is bolted to the ground, surrounded by a pretty big structure with the projectors on it and has a hole on one side. These characteristics seem to preclude its use in full-mission flight simulators because of the necessity for the cockpit to be mobile to simulate the forces exerted on the pilot(s).

Sure the big boy pilots get to use the technology, but when will it trickle down to the rest of us?

It just looks awesome!

This technology will allow airport towers to be outsourced to other countries.

Soon we'll each have one in our homes and MMO's and FPS's will be more epic than ever!!!

Imagine porn on this thing haha, it had to be said

@porsche469 "Imagine porn on this thing haha, it had to be said"
Not really. I have a wife and a life...

yeah of course this should trickle down not just games, but any computer interface. not quite the matrix, but a closer step to the holodeck.

which brings up another point.
We are soon going to see a big issue with competing technologies.
textile touch screens are great. what about about things like the kintect. which would you rather have? both have their distinct advantages. would you rather have this sphere with kinetct like controls, or textile touch controls? next we will also see competing glasses free 3D and ULTRA HD. sure they both can happen, but they wont. Companies will invest in one or the other. As slow as glasses 3D tv is taking off, glasses free 3D is even slower. Ultra HD is making some headway at sony here in JAPAN. In 5 years, sony may start pouring more money into the Ultra 3D R and D rather than the glasses free 3D.
Then you have the 3D goggles display. If you integrated those with a motion sensing, eyeball tracking, and accelerometers, you may have an even more immerse experience than a video sphere like this.... they are ALL exciting directions, but they will compete with one another soon.

I'd love to have something like this for personal computer use, the idea of being able to stand up, walk to the "screen", and highlight text or interact with a photo, would be awesome. As for gaming, I could see this tech being amazing for immersion.

Dont they already have a interface like this in military training simulators?

@Jivaii
There was a company that showcased its Z-Dome back in 2008, which was a half-sphere/multi-projector combo destined for the consumer market. There are still clips of it on youtube. The company now seems to have exited the consumer market and was re-christened "EuroTouch Kiosks". They still sell the Z-Dome.

@Juggernog
Yes this has existed for years. This particular product, though, seems to offer better image quality. Also, this is one of only a few domes (maybe the only one?) with projectors on the outside of the dome, rather than inside the dome.

Need a high resolution (at least 1080p comparatively) head tracking headset, MUCH MUCH Cheaper option. Unsure why companies push for these mega-dome screen designs given headset options and techs have been proven for years; its just no one is pushing for moving it to a better product.

@prime2011

Because pilots and crew in the simulator need to see and interact with the cockpit controls.

I agree with the Matrix comment. Also, waaay down the comment list, prime2011 said that it needed at least 1080p res. I definitely agree with that. I think that the simulator technique is nothing new, but it definitely has been improved quite a bit.