As well as simulating scientific areas, there was also various simulations of man made object specially during the design process. For example, in the construction process for a new car, much data is recorded as it traverses various road types and notes any accident results. The aim is to try and simulate the actions of the automobile. An early example is the Calvin Thiess paper Computer Graphics Displays of Simulated Automobile Dynamics (1969)
The computer program was able to generate quite similar results to those from the development car itself.
A similar program was able to simulate a bicycle and rider (Computer animation of a bicycle simulation (1972)). This would be used for bicycle design and development taking into account the rider's ability.
In the UK, the early dynamics of a hovertrain were animated on the Atlas Computer Laboratory's SC4020 (see Dynamics of Hovertrain Tracks (1971).
Ron Baecker's 1975 paper Computer-Animated Simulation Models: A Tool for Transportation Planning considers the modelling and display of passenger flow in a subway station.