Lexus Builds World's Most Advanced Driving Simulator

Lexus might insist that its epic driving simulator that is hailed as the most advanced in the world isn't a video game, but I for one would like to climb into the dome and give the thing a play. You might have seen a bit about the simulator in a Lexus commercial that is airing on TV right now. The thing was designed to allow Lexus engineers to test and design technology that will make Lexus cars safer.

The simulator is a domed structure that is 15-feet high and 56-feet in diameter that sits on a three axis hexapod system. The whole thing is mounted on tracks that span a giant building on the Lexus campus in Higashifuji, Japan. Inside that big white dome sits an actual Lexus car with full scenery projected all around it and you can even see that scenery receded in the mirrors around you.

The pod can move forwards, backwards, and side-to-side to recreate the sensation of acceleration, braking, and turn angles of up to 330 degrees. The simulator can accurately reproduce the sensations a driver would feel traveling at speeds of up to 186mph. you can check out a longer version of the commercial showing the simulator in action below.