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New member! What's your cheapest built and working rig?!

Discussion in 'New users start here - FAQ' started by Tschaf, Aug 8, 2015.

  1. Tschaf

    Tschaf New Member

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    Hey all,
    New member from Canada, ottawa here. So I've been browsing the forums for a while as I want to get into building my own motion simulator. I'm going to be getting an oculus rift dk2 in the next week and I've already got a motionless car cockpit simulator for my g27 wheel but I just can't get the idea of a full motion sim rig running with the oculus. Something to blow my friends away lol! ☺ so I've seen many threads about cheap rigs and I figured I'd ask, what's the cheapest rig set up that works well. Thanks and I look forward to sharing some of my own projects in the (hopefully) near future!
    Tschaf, Aug 8, 2015
    #1
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    What is 'cheap' and 'works well' is a mater of perspective. There are wiper motor rigs like @-kevin- and others that have built that are very impressive: http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/monster-sim-carbon-loock-by-kevin.5951/

    Others have gone to bigger motors/wormdrive gearboxes which gives more scope to build things like compact simulators, similar to my own and @bsft's desk racers. Big wormdrive motors can also be used for really high performance shoulder or foot mount rigs, which move so fast that they can almost leave you bruised.

    @SilentChill's very impressive original 2DOF+traction loss and current 6DOF Stewart platform were built with free DC motors he managed to scrounge for nothing from his work:

    http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/first-attempt-at-a-2dof-motion-sim.5654/

    http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/6dof-project-using-12v-dc-motors-mms-and-arduinos.6948/

    Arduino/MM are cheaper than JRKs and are flexible in what they can handle, but take more work to set up and of late a lot of members have reported faulty MMs: http://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/motor-driver-for-arduino-compatible-controller.11/category

    You can modify server PSUs as cheap power supplies, though brand new LED PSUs are not that expensive: http://www.xsimulator.net/community...ver-power-supplies-as-cheap-powerful-psus.54/

    So take stock of your own skills, time availability and access to resources to work out what may be 'cheap' and 'work well' for you.

    Post your ideas here and members will give you feedback and likely point out things you have not considered, which will save you time and money.
    • Like Like x 4
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2015
    noorbeast, Aug 8, 2015
    #2
  3. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, JRK, SimforceGT, 6DOF
    My existing Jrk seatmover $650
    There are members with rig in Canada wonder how close ?
    • Like Like x 1
    eaorobbie, Aug 8, 2015
    #3
  4. Tschaf

    Tschaf New Member

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    Thanks for the replies guys!! WOW I checked out @-kevin- rig and omg is that thing ever beautiful! @eaorobbie I really like the thread you made about taking your static seat to a motion sim, seeing as that's probably what ill end up doing. Im just curious, is that thread the 650$ JRK seatmover you mention above? Also from what I saw on the members map there's two or three people in the montreal area who ill have to message! :) Also I just gotta say, This forum is amazing! Everyone is so helpful and I really feel like ill be ready to start a project within the next year as long as my money/ school situation goes as planned!
    Another random question I figured id ask, is what kinda problems can I expect to run into running the oculus rift dk2 with a motion rig? Ive read a bit about motion cancellation being needed so how easy is that to get going?
    Thanks again everyone :D
    Tschaf, Aug 8, 2015
    #4
  5. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2014
    Messages:
    21,518
    Occupation:
    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
    Location:
    St Helens, Tasmania, Australia
    Balance:
    150,728Coins
    Ratings:
    +11,018 / 55 / -2
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Motion cancellation for the DK2, other than for LFS, is not an easy option. LFS has implemented VectionVR for motion cancellation.

    To what extent motion is an issue for the DK2 depends on how harsh the movement and how large the axis movement is. If you are doing gentle motion for light or commercial flight simulation then you should have little problem with the Rift camera being mounted on the rig, hence there is no need for motion cancellation. But if you run harsh motion then the Rift camera has problems maintaining tracking when mounted on the rig: http://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/virtual-reality-and-motion-simulators.115/

    Personally I have found you need less axis movement in VR, so mounting the Rift camera off the rig is not a huge issue.
    • Agree Agree x 1
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2015
    noorbeast, Aug 8, 2015
    #5