6DOF possibilites and views

I'm also a long time lurker.....
I have access to a cnc router & lathe to build one, but the price of 6 x servo motors & all the other gear kind of turns me off a bit.
If I build a cheap one it'll motivate me to build a better unit down the track.
Im Very interested in what you come up with here!
My aim is to build a sprint car simulator, so my motion frame will be in a sprint car seating position.

I’d advise against using DC motors for this purpose. Based on credible sources, if the motors are supporting your weight, you’ll likely need at least 750W for reliable performance. A 500W motor might work, but it’s a compromise that could lead to issues. I’m aiming for an affordable SFX-100 setup. I currently use gear motor DC drives, which have been very reliable, running for hundreds of hours with only routine maintenance.

The only reasonably priced DC brushed motor I’ve found in the 500W+ range is the AmpFlow motor on Amazon. However, after many hours of testing and two years, I haven’t had success with it. It tends to overwhelm every motor driver I’ve tried. My recent attempts resulted in a driver that only worked in one direction. While I can get the motor to move and track briefly, the driver typically fails within minutes.

I suggest asking your favorite AI to search for DC motors in the 500W+ range. You’ll likely find slim pickings—options are limited, and reliable ones are pricey. Curious why? It’s because DC motors, especially brushed ones, wear out quickly under heavy loads, and brushless DC motors need complex controllers, making them less popular. Meanwhile, AC servo motors dominate for high-power, precision tasks.

Now, try asking about AC servo motors. You’ll see dozens of options! The SFX-100 project’s website recommends 750W AC servo drives from AliExpress, typically around $220. I snagged a different one for $150, and there are even cheaper ones out there, though watch for high shipping costs. These kits often include 3m cables and some offer quadrature encoder outputs for precise control.

For control, you can build a PID position controller using the quadrature inputs for tight feedback or go open-loop with more complex math. Alternatively, grab a Thanos AMC-AASD15A motion controller—for about $349.

So, there you go—motors and cables
for around $800. Oh, you wanted ball screws too?

It is impossible to build 6DOF on BTS7960 controllers, you will only lose money and time. Roman design used Cytron controllers I in my 6DOF used 3 pieces of 100A controllers
https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/reasonably-priced-100a-motor-controllers.17638/

Hi, 10 years ago a guy built a six dof simulator with smolka DC motors 16 Nm, but the motor drivers ( which seem to me very important ) were very good ones, Sabertooth series from Dimension Engineering. The problem is they're not cheap......

You can find the topic on xsimulator :
6dof dc 24v smolka zigzag49

"without compromising on quality and function"

And then you start the project with the cheapest motors and drivers, which will only give you a headache.

Using brushed motors today is not just a compromise, it's simply the wrong choice for the application.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons why almost everyone uses higher quality and therefore more expensive motors and drivers. This is certainly not intended as an offense, but rather as good advice, as there are already several similar threads here, all of which ended in a similar way. With the purchase of proper hardware or the early ending of the project.

What about the latest DOF Reality offering with the planetary/ballscrew/brake combo? Is there still a cost savings going that direction with that design vs. a stepper/ballscrew, and will it prove to be a poor choice?

Hexapods are scary enough, I would never get on one that could not trust the motors were reliable...

https://youtube.com/shorts/oxBQ96XJTPk?si=zq_nFPmstVBX0Qg0

Let me disagree , you can build a 6DOF for $800 just be aware of the limitations of such a kit ( less range of motion, less accuracy, more slack) but it's still a 6DOF you can have great fun on the most important thing is to have a good emergency stop

till you reched your emergency stop, the rig already destroit itself.

Could you elaborate more on this? I've built a 6DOF based on 24V 250W motors and so far I've felt pretty safe knowing I have an emergency stop.
But I make no secret of the fact that I am a beginner in building motion platforms.

Sorry, that's almost just a chair. How about a whole cockpit on a hexapod?

I'm not offended , your cockpit is really impressive with the fact that I'm limited by the power of the engines so it has to be as light as possible, well and it will be used only for flying in VR so it lacks all the simracing equipment which as I noticed weighs really a lot.
There will be one more element, that is the front cockpit of the F/A-18, without MFD screens which I can't see in VR anyway.
The procedure for slow takeoff from rest position which you showed on your video is what I really miss in FlyPtMover software , I hope the upcoming SIMHUB release with 6DOF support will have this feature.
As for Misanhtrop's post, I'm curious to know what else I have to worry about when using a 6DOF controlled via SMC3 arduino code.
I might also have misunderstood something from the post as English is not my natural language.

Yeah, we all dream big sometimes

Many people have succeeded with the 24v250w electric wheelchair motor, 8cm arm.