Vector Simulations AG integrated Scalable Display Technologies to power a five-projector spherical projection driving simulator — delivering seamless, automatically calibrated visuals across a curved surface on a motion platform, for a system capable of simulating any vehicle from Formula One cars to amphibious military vehicles across automotive training, defense, and cognitive research applications.
Vector Simulations AG has engineered an advanced driving simulator designed to deliver fully immersive, lifelike experiences across a wide range of vehicle types and training scenarios. Built on a motion platform surrounded by a spherical projection screen driven by five projectors, the system is calibrated using Scalable Display Technologies — bringing seamless, high-resolution visuals to one of the most technically demanding display environments in professional simulation.
The Vector Simulations platform was originally conceived for automotive training, but its engineering makes it applicable far beyond the commercial driving market. The motion platform engages all essential sensory cues — vestibular, visual, and haptic — to create a deeply realistic environment for users across a broad spectrum of applications.
"It could simulate anything from a Formula One car to an amphibious military vehicle," said Marcel Koebeli, Founder and Chief Executive Officer for Vector Simulations. "It's a dynamic simulator designed for a wide range of applications. It's highly agile and delivers the necessary stimuli to create a fully immersive and realistic driving experience."
The breadth of applications is substantial: tactical driver training for military and emergency services, automotive hardware and software development, professional racing preparation, and cognitive research programs requiring precisely controlled visual stimuli. The same hardware and calibration infrastructure supports all of them.
A spherical projection screen is one of the most geometrically complex display surfaces in simulation. Unlike flat or even simple curved screens, a sphere curves in two axes simultaneously — requiring a different warp correction at every point across the surface. With five projectors covering that surface, the edge blending between projectors must be invisible and the geometric alignment must be precise enough to hold up under scrutiny from a viewer seated directly inside the display.
The challenge is compounded by the motion platform. As the simulator moves to replicate the dynamics of the vehicle being simulated, the visual system must remain perfectly stable — any miscalibration that manifests as image wobble or geometric drift during motion immediately breaks the immersive illusion and undermines training fidelity.
"In front of the motion platform, we've integrated a spherical-shaped projection screen," explained Koebeli. "The seamless calibration is produced by Scalable's software. Scalable adjusts the geometry of a projected image and blends it seamlessly when using multiple projectors to deliver a unified, calibrated visual experience."
For Vector Simulations, the selection of Scalable Display Technologies came down to three factors: calibration accuracy, automation, and reliability under operational conditions.
Accuracy and automation — Scalable's camera-based automatic calibration measures the actual projected image on the spherical surface and computes the precise warp corrections and blend curves needed for each projector. The result is sub-pixel accuracy across the entire spherical display, achieved automatically rather than through the iterative manual adjustment that other calibration approaches require.
"Scalable's software plays a big role here," explained Koebeli. "First, Scalable offers automated calibration, which simplifies and speeds up the setup process. Some companies offer automated calibration, but you often need manual input and fine-tuning. Scalable's calibration is reliable and produces accurate results."
Motion stability — the automated calibration is not just about initial setup. It's about maintaining a stable, consistent image under the conditions the simulator actually operates in. For Koebeli, this was non-negotiable.
"If the calibration is off, the image wobbles during movement," he said. "Scalable ensures this doesn't happen, which is vital for immersion."
System complexity and support — with five projectors each driven by a dedicated PC rendering its portion of the image, the Vector Simulations system is a genuinely complex multi-machine, multi-projector pipeline. The technical depth of that architecture means that when issues arise, the support relationship with the calibration software provider matters as much as the software itself.
"This is a complex system with multiple projectors and PCs, as each projector has its own PC rendering the image," Koebeli explained. "While occasional issues arise due to system complexity, Scalable has always provided fast, effective support. Their teams' responsiveness, agility and reliability have made them an outstanding partner for this project."
Scalable Display Manager automatically adjusts the geometry, brightness, and color of the projected image across all five projectors, producing one continuous, high-resolution display across the spherical surface. The software's one-touch recalibration capability means the display can be quickly restored to full accuracy if projectors drift or the system is reconfigured — without requiring specialist AV expertise on-site.
For a simulator designed to operate across diverse industries and training environments, that combination of accuracy, automation, and operational reliability is what makes the integration with Scalable Display Technologies foundational to the system's performance.
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