We’re all familiar with video games and consoles that make you feel like you are not just playing the game but actually part of the adventure itself. And, there’s the “get fit” systems that have you really jumping and hoolahooping around your livingroom whilst virtually connected to your TV.

So how does driving your car using your phone sound as the ultimate in-application experience? Researchers in Germany have developed the iDriver application that turns an iPhone into a controller that can “drive” a two tonne minivan.

Not yet commercially available, the application which has a motion sensitive steering wheel, separate buttons for braking and accelerating has been created by the artificial intelligence team at the Free University of Berlin.

Although there a number of devices in the field which enable similar functionality, this is believed to be the first that has been designed for use with the iPhone. With the popularity of the iPhone growing daily, applications that run with them are forever in demand.

What could the iDriver mean to the average person? Well apart from the fun of driving your car around using your phone, people with disabilities may find such a device a safer more accessible means of driving. And learners who are heading out on the road for the first time? If you were a driving teacher and had such a device at hand to accelerate, swerve or simply stop in an emergency would you feel a lot more confident? The expense of equipping cars with special adaptive controls could be mitigated with such technology.

There is no denying that this is the ultimate real life experience!