The gigantic driving simulator is located at Toyota’s Higashifuji Technical Centre in Japan. One of the key elements is the use of a real car placed on a platform housed inside a 7.1-metre-diameter dome, the inside of which serves as a giant 360-degree video screen.
Once the driver operates the vehicle, a tilt mechanism, vibration apparatus and other devices manipulate the dome, which can be moved around an area the equivalent of four tennis courts, under precision computer control. According to Toyota, the result is a true simulation of the actual sensation of driving, including a sense of speed, acceleration and riding comfort through turns and other driving maneuvers. The driving simulator dome has even been equipped with sound effects in order to make the experience even more real.