24. Exploring Human–Robot Interaction: Emerging Methodologies and Environments

Computer simulation is a test-bed for research that began in the 1970s, grew tremendously in popularity in the 1990s, and has since continued to mature in complexity and realism. When computer simulations were in their infancy, their biggest advantage was the ability to have complete control over the environment in which the simulation took place. Missions could be changed from daylight to twilight with a few keystrokes. Weather conditions could be altered or inserted based on the needs of the experiment. Perhaps most importantly, the landmasses in which the simulations took place were boundless, in their cyber world.