Editing Simulation (section)

===Virtual simulation output hardware===
There is a wide variety of output hardware available to deliver a stimulus to users in virtual simulations. The following list briefly describes several of them:

*''Visual display'': Visual displays provide the visual stimulus to the user.
** Stationary displays can vary from a conventional desktop display to 360-degree wrap-around screens to stereo three-dimensional screens. Conventional desktop displays can vary in size from {{Convert|15|to|60|in}}. Wrap around screens is typically used in what is known as a [[cave automatic virtual environment]] (CAVE). Stereo three-dimensional screens produce three-dimensional images either with or without special glasses—depending on the design.
** [[Head-mounted display]]s (HMDs) have small displays that are mounted on headgear worn by the user. These systems are connected directly into the virtual simulation to provide the user with a more immersive experience. Weight, update rates and field of view are some of the key variables that differentiate HMDs. Naturally, heavier HMDs are undesirable as they cause fatigue over time. If the update rate is too slow, the system is unable to update the displays fast enough to correspond with a quick head turn by the user. Slower update rates tend to cause simulation sickness and disrupt the sense of immersion. Field of view or the angular extent of the world that is seen at a given moment [[field of view]] can vary from system to system and has been found to affect the user's sense of immersion.
* ''Aural display'': Several different types of audio systems exist to help the user hear and localize sounds spatially. Special software can be used to produce 3D audio effects [[3D audio]] to create the illusion that sound sources are placed within a defined three-dimensional space around the user.
** Stationary conventional speaker systems may be used to provide dual or multi-channel surround sound. However, external speakers are not as effective as headphones in producing 3D audio effects.<ref name="SW&CA"/>
** Conventional headphones offer a portable alternative to stationary speakers. They also have the added advantages of masking real-world noise and facilitate more effective 3D audio sound effects.<ref name="SW&CA"/> {{Dubious|Aural Display|date=September 2018|Conventional headphones bullet=This claim is dubious. Most Binaural 3D audio is not a simulation or aural reality. This is especially true when the audio is being created by the HRTF process. In this instance, it is an emulation of the amplification system that the Head Related Impulse Response was taken from. A new sound signal is convolved with the HRTF to make it sound as though it were being heard by the mannequin that was used in the recording. It is an emulation of that system.}}
* ''Haptic display'': These displays provide a sense of touch to the user ([[haptic technology]]). This type of output is sometimes referred to as force feedback.
** Tactile tile displays use different types of actuators such as inflatable bladders, vibrators, low-frequency sub-woofers, pin actuators and/or thermo-actuators to produce sensations for the user.
** End effector displays can respond to users inputs with resistance and force.<ref name="SW&CA"/> These systems are often used in medical applications for remote surgeries that employ robotic instruments.<ref>Zahraee, A.H., Szewczyk, J., [[Jamie Paik|Paik, J.K.]], Guillaume, M. (2010). Robotic hand-held surgical device: evaluation of end-effector's kinematics and development of proof-of-concept prototypes. Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, Beijing, China.</ref>
* ''Vestibular display'': These displays provide a sense of motion to the user ([[motion simulator]]). They often manifest as motion bases for virtual vehicle simulation such as driving simulators or flight simulators. Motion bases are fixed in place but use actuators to move the simulator in ways that can produce the sensations pitching, yawing or rolling. The simulators can also move in such a way as to produce a sense of acceleration on all axes (e.g., the motion base can produce the sensation of falling).