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NEW 6DOF 12V CABLE driven project

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by George Dobransky, Oct 13, 2018.

  1. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    Hi there,

    After my first 2dof system I have inspirated to build a new conception. The idea is that about we can use gravity to move the platform down. It is a 6 cabled hanging system with 6 12V gate motors, multi turn pots and gate cable reels turning to pull. Pushing should be done gravity. I tested with model, it was working OK. With this method the lifting distance should be so high, about one meter or more. The construction is about to finish, controllers, wiring, frame, everything is done by now, only the motors I'm waiting for now. Here are some pics about the current state. It is surprisingly stable, when I tested to sit in.

    I'm very curious now how it will work. If it is OK, than it is a cheap and simple alternate do make 6dof systems without actuators.

    First tests soon!

    Cheers,
    George

    Attached Files:

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    Last edited: Jan 24, 2019
  2. MarkusB

    MarkusB Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    I am always curious to see different approaches than the usual ones. Do you have a video to share?

    And did you get your inspiration from this system?
    http://www.cablerobotsimulator.org/

    It came to my mind immediately when reading about a cable-driven system.
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  3. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    MarkusB,

    There is no video yet, coz I'm just waiting for the motors and the pots. First tests will be approximately in 2 weeks.
    The inspiration was from this guy's video:



    First I wanted to make it with actuators also, but I thought we don't need more accelerate down than gravity, -so it should be simpler and easier to use gravity to move it down. I planned the frame and the cables positions in CAD and made a small model how should it works. Model tests was promising, that's why I decided to build scaled. I'm so curious now how it will work, 'coz if it is works well, that will be a much cheaper and fast build possibility to 6dof systems.

    Cheers,
    George
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  4. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    Hi All,

    I have finished my project. The first test are VERY impressive, seems to works well.
    In the next few days more tests come, and I'll make a video of it's working.
    Here are some pics of the 80% finished system.

    Chhers,
    George

    Attached Files:

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  5. PaulB

    PaulB Titanium2dof

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    https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/the-in-progress-brig-seat-1-3.12189/
    Hi George: This is my cable Rig. Worked so well, I cut it all up! to make another with traction loss and possibly Heave. The video is a good example of what one 12 volt power supply can do.
    Before I dismantled this one I got another 10 deg. out of it. Going for about the same on the next, just with 20-30 deg x2 for traction loss.
  6. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    From my testing cable systems usually become unstable if the cog can shift during operation where inertia then causes oscillations but good luck with your design.
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  7. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    Guys,
    I have been several test for today, everything seems to be OK till now, after few hours of work.
    Tmrw I will make a video of it, it seems to be a good and real alternate than actuators systems, It
    it has more lifting travel (about one meter!) and much cheaper version.
    I speacially tested with flight sims it is much closer to
    the real flight, 'coz the platform is hanging on. I'm using VR (oculus with touch controllers) the feel is totally different than the ground supported versions, you can feel that you are hanging -similar to flying.
    I didn't test with car racing, but for flight sims -I think- it is a better solution.
    Vids tomorrow!

    Cheers,
    George
  8. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    BlazinH,

    I have designed this system with balance weights avoiding heavy load the motors and shifting the cog.
    The balance weights are 3 cylinders filled with concrete, about 20kgs each.
    Each motors only have to lift about 40kgs divided by 6 -about 6,5 kgs each -a
    12v cheap gate operator motor can handle it easy with 15cm diameter dial. Cheap and easy setup with constant balance weight - better than rubber, or spring which is exponential. Vids tomorrow, you can see how mine works,

    Cheers,
    George
  9. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    Hi All,

    Here is the first video of my cable driven 6dof system. movements from xplane flight sim, a short take off and landing.
    The rig are working without issues, more test will come with Elite Dangerous. After wathching back the vid,
    I think I have to set much more movement to heave and surge in game manager, otherwise the system works as charm.



    Cheers,
    George
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  10. SilentChill

    SilentChill Problem Maker

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    Good work looks perfect for flight :)

    Think you have Heave wrong way round you should be pushed down when you pull the aircraft up and platform go up when you point down
  11. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    Craig,

    Thx! I aslo think it's the better solution for flight, for race- actuators, or ground-supported system might be better 'coz
    of fast movements..
    Anyway about the heave direction - are you sure, that is reversed?
    for example in Elite - (gravity air) if you use only the vertical engines lifting up the ship, you have to feel that u r heavier, right?
    if engines lifting down - feeling u r lighter not..?
    in this way if the ship or aircraft is lifting, up the platform has to move up, to feel that u r heavier, and vice-versa -
    or not? I'm also using VR, so the most important thing is what I feel, not I see.

    Cheers,
    George
  12. SilentChill

    SilentChill Problem Maker

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    I don't think so it's the inertia that is involved you are moving the platform away from your body to simulate the heave which is the same as surge when you brake the platform goes backwards not forwards.

    I think that's right or maybe I'm completely wrong , someone else can say for sure lol perhaps @SeatTime or @BlazinH ?
  13. SeatTime

    SeatTime Well-Known Member

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    For heave when the aircraft/vehicle is climbing then the rig needs to also drive up. The reason why it is different with a full frame when braking is because the rig is decelerating away from your body during braking and not accelerating through it as in a climb.
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    Last edited: Oct 31, 2018
  14. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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  15. ferslash

    ferslash Active Member

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    how did you mount the wipers to the cables?
  16. sam poole

    sam poole Active Member

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    Love this I have been curious about a counter balance method and this looks very stable good job
  17. George Dobransky

    George Dobransky Active Member

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    ferslash,

    Sorry for the big delay of answering...
    So. They are not wiper motors, but gate moving motors - as cheaper than wiper and has enough power...
    The motors have attached to the cables by also from gate moving tech - they are gate moving drums from
    aluminium, that's you can see at your moving garage gates at the top both sides. They are so cheap
    (about 15 eur/pair). I have used 14 cm diameter drums, and 12 volts, but with cheap IBT2 motor controllers at 24V
    you can use a smaller, about 10 cm diameter drums-means smaller load on the motor shaft and
    also you get more power from motors, but faster movements at drums. In this way you have to use 720 drgree multi turn pots. (cheap chinese enough)

    sam poole,

    that was my most important fear about it, but according to pyramid layout, it is quite stable in
    every directions.
    After 2 weeks of every day use - still works as charm.... And now I have very smooth and small movements
    finally.....
    It looks really a good and much cheaper alternate than actuators. With 24V and smaller drums - can be fast enough for car racing also.

    Cheers,
    George
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2018
  18. Thanos

    Thanos Building the Future one AC Servo at a time... or 6

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    Are you sure you get surge and sway and yaw motion from the platform hanging? On a normal Stewart platform, you achieve surge, sway and yaw because of the rigid actuators move the platform parallel to the ground. I don't think that is possible with the flexible cables.

    I think you just got a complex 3DOF ;)

    Make a video showing the motion of moving individual axis from simtools sliders...

    Thanks
    Thanos
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  19. pmvcda

    pmvcda aka FlyPT

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    Unless if he uses 12 motors, 6 up and 6 down.
    Push pull setup, way more complicated, but possible.

    well, not pull, because it's cables
  20. Grigory

    Grigory Active Member Gold Contributor

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    I think using the flexible cables makes no difference and everything will work fine. Geometrically, the only thing that matters is the length of each actuator. If we ignore inertia and only consider slow cockpit movements then all the cables will be stretched and their lenghts will unambiguously define the cockpit position. Just imagine that the cockpit is hanging from the ceiling on the linear actuators.

    However, this cable setup is obviously not suitable for sharp moves, unless something cancels cockpit's inertia when direction reverses. Otherwise the cables will flex and the cockpit will be flying chaotically.
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2018