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34 3. Applications and Implications of VR
seated in a closed mechanical device. These were one of the first simula-
tors to be developed, but now we have simulators for firefighters, surgeons,
space mission controls and so on. The appeal of VR for training is that it
can provide training nearly equal to practicing with real-life systems, but at a
much reduced cost and in a safer environment. In fact, VR is the ideal train-
ing medium for performing tasks in dangerous or hazardous environments,
because the trainee can be exposed to life-threatening training scenarios
under a safely controlled computer-generated environment. If the trainee
makes a mistake then the simulation can be stopped and the trainer will have
the chance to explain to the