And you thought using the HIPerSpace wall for GTA IV was overkill. Marksman Training Systems' ST-2 shooting simulator is touted as the "first simulator for shotgun and rifle shooting designed specifically for demanding users such as shooting instructors," and considering that the Russian and Slovakian national clay shooting teams have practiced on this very system in preparation for the Beijing Olympics, we'll be seeing just how effective it is here soon. Furthermore, this system allows hunters / huntresses to use their preferred weapon (via an attachable sensor) rather than some proprietary pistol, and the advanced diagnostics screen ensures that you know exactly why you missed that digital fowl. Looks like you'll have to inquire directly about pricing, but seriously, you don't want this taking the place of your home cinema... or do you?

[Via CrunchGear]

Considering that mechanical beings will be fighting our real wars here in just a few years, it's no shock to see more focus placed on the areas where actual humans will still be the ones waging. DARPA is looking to create what it calls a National Cyber Range, which would essentially act as a training ground for cyber warriors. The setup would enable defense gurus to simulate battle against attacks our on nation's most highly prized data, and of course, give victors over virtual phishing scams immense bragging rights. Come to think of it, Estonia could have totally benefited from something like this last year.

[Via Information Week, image courtesy of Sandia]

Sure, your racing games are exciting... we guess. Though when you think about it, they don't really deliver the kind of visceral, knock-about action of an actual race, do they? That's where the Force Dynamics 401 comes in -- a simulator chair which features a "direct transfer of information," i.e., you get bruises if you drive poorly. Judging from the video (which you can see after the break), you'd be hard-pressed to get a more realistic experience... unless you were actually driving a race car at breakneck speeds around tight chicanes whilst passing speeding, desperate competitors.

If you're not content to simply simulate other vehicles in actual cars, or simulate driving actual cars in video game simulations, perhaps you would enjoy this combination from BMW, which allows you to play a simulation in the actual vehicle you're simulating. All a bit meta for you? Don't worry, all that's going on here is that BMW has rigged up its $100,000+ M3 with a projector in the backseat, and wired the steering, transmission and pedals to control and react to a racing sim (which is based on the M3's handling). The system also feeds data back to the car's hydraulics, allowing it to shake and bounce in sync with gameplay. Probably not as much fun as driving the real thing, but definitely cheaper. Be sure to check the video after the break to hear a completely over-zealous car nerd acting like he's never seen Outrun before.

[Via Joystiq]

We've seen what (little) a quantum computer can do, but a pair of curious scientists flipped the equation around and sent a humdrum PC to do a supercomputer's work. Professor Peter Drummond and Dr. Piotr Deuar were able to "successfully simulate a collision of two laser beams from an atom laser using an everyday desktop computer," which would typically only be attempted on a substantially more powerful machine. Notably, the achievement wasn't entirely without flaw, as the purported randomness in the testing eventually "swamped everything" and forced the simulation to be halted in order to gather any useful data whatsoever. Unfortunately, we're all left to wonder exactly what kind of machine was used to chew through such grueling calculations (Compubeaver, perhaps?), but feel free to throw out your suggestions below.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of ACQAO]

DARPA's Grand Challenge certainly snags a majority of the spotlight when talking about autonomous vehicles, but researchers at the University of Essex are looking to tackle the idea on a (literally) smaller scale. Seeking to craft a "driverless model car," the project will reportedly utilize a standard remote control model vehicle, which will be flanked by a PC, camcorder, and a bevy of sensors. Supposedly, the software that will be riding on board will allow the vehicle to be "entirely autonomous" by recognizing obstacles, making tactical decisions, and driving itself around a test track. The team responsible for the prototype hopes that this small-scale, low-cost endeavor will "pave the way" for autopilot cars of the future, and considering the problems we mere humans are already having with newfangled technology, that day can't come soon enough.

[Via Slashdot]

Robot tadpole mating. That's what a team of vertebrate physiologists at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. have been using to investigate the evolution of vertebrae. These little robot tadpoles -- lovingly named "Tadros" -- are modeled after the larvae of sea creatures called "sea squirts": each has an electronic eye, motor, computer brain, and gelatinous tail of varying lengths and stiffness. By racing the Tadros towards a light in 8-foot fish tanks and recording the results, the scientists have been able to carry out a simulated form of evolution by electronically mating each Tadros and producing a next-generation that shares the attributes of its two "parents." Over 10 generations of robot tadpole "relations," the scientists found that the tails became stiffer as the swimming performance improved. Apparently this stiffness accounts for only 40% of the improvements in swimming performance: further investigations will ascertain which factors account for the remaining 60%. Next, the team hopes to add a "hunter" to the tank which the Tadros can avoid using infrared sensors, to mimic the pressure sensitive organs of fish. Evolution emulating robot-tadpoles today, giant killer robot-frogs tomorrow?

[Thanks, Rod L.]