Pneumatic Joyrider / Simul8r

Hi everyone,

My name is Sijmen (Simon) and live in the Netherlands. I built a flight and race seat using the Simul8r plans a couple of years ago (see profile picture). I stumbled across some pneumatic cilinders and valves and started to look into upgrading my seat.

I found the instructable by dnicky about the pneumatic Joyrider, through which I found out about xsimulator and SimTools. Great t learn about this tool. Amazing to see how large this community is. And what information is already available.

I am definitely upgrade my seat! It should be multi purpose, like my current seat (racing, flying, helicopter). I have experience with electronics, but no experience with pneumatics. It would be fun to learn about it.

My first thoughts would be to start with a design based on the Joyrider. Perhaps try to integrate my Simul8r in it. Or design a complete new frame.

Open questions are:

• Pneumatics or motors
• 3D tv Screen on rig or PSVR
• Joyrider design or modified Simul8r
• 2 or 3 dof (tilt, roll and yaw)

A lot to read on this forum. Tips are welcome

Started with building a proof of concept of yaw control for the Joyrider onusing my current raceseat.

Waiting on some pneumatic parts to test de rodless cilinder.

Thinking about trying out some drifting.

Yes, its working pretty good Unbelievable how much power/speed the pneumatic cilinder has. The kids love it.

I am not yet allowed to add a link to a movie. Perhaps in a next post.

Features

• A POT meter on the front joint to measure angle.
• Connection to the POT meter inside the steering wheel.
• A Arduino which calculates the error between the two and sends out a control signal for left or right movement
• 5 ports / 3 positions pressure valve with normally closed. Which can push the chair left/right or keep position.

Problems I currently have:

• Too much overshoot if I turn up the pressure/speed. This is partly due to the fact that I have pressure valves that can only turn on/off. I cannot control the speed. I now have large deadzone. I want to try and implement a PID. A proportional valve is way to expensive.
• Returning to center goes as fast as going left and right. I am going to try and use a elastic band for centering and only use the cilinder for breaking-out. But I will need a valve which is normally open for that (ordered on Ali).

Simul8r in action

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kbrQrD174PtA5stS9

Hoi Simon
Pneumatiek is oud en wordt niet veel meer gebruikt.
Het heeft alles te maken met positie, dat is eigenlijk niet te krijgen.
Het komt omdat je lucht kunt comprimeren.
Daarom is het zwaar hydraulisch en lichter elektrisch tegenwoordig
groeten Ad

Now in game.

I have changed the code so it only goes left and right if I make a hard right or hard left.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jGRmTXLK6aLBEdRr7

Dat had ik ook al begrepen. Toch leek het mij interessant om er eens mee te experimenten. Daar het relatief goedkoop is (in China).

Voor precieze posities is het lastig, maar voor G-krachten werkt het nu wel redelijk goed.

I go on in bad english
There is nothing wrong with experementing the first sim for home use wash a Rock & ride simulator
It worked on air and got 5/6 posistions.
Youre work is great for a Gseat
Go on go on
ad

i like the frame! share videos! looking great

The frame is based on the Simul8r design. It is not intended for motion. See:
https://www.isrtv.com/forums/topic/...ans-bottom-of-pg-7-donations-accepted/?page=7

My plan is to build a new one based on the JoyRider designs and include Yaw.
https://www.acesim.com/main.html

I have received the normally open valve and it works better now. It centers using a rubber tube.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNVgwvbgo0nInJUsDN5CWzyObPzcrMzzqZ6NnE4

Now I want to try it out with Simtools and a gameplugin.

Great update! I have Simtools working in NFS Most Wanted for one DOF, bought a nice Samsung Curved display and remodeled rig to support the display.

I am using a Arduino's Uno and NodeMCU. The Uno to send the SimTools data to and control the actuators, and the NodeMCU to monitor the Uno. The data sent to the Uno by serial is forwarded using a SoftwareSerial to the NodeMCU. The NodeMCU sents it back to the serial of the PC so I can view it on the Serial monitor/plotter (see video bottomleft).

I am now using Sway data on a very easy control scheme.

if Sway > 156 -> push chair left,
Else if Sway <100 -> push chair right
Else -> release valve and elastic band pulls the chair to center

Check out the video's:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QtLT3kuvRC7UtinK9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/urpwno5p4FSqhgLw6

This is amazing to play with. This was supposed to be a Proof-of-concept for the JoyRider. But this is already great!

It has been a while. Some great updates.

-new race seat with belts
- frame to hold and rotate the seat.
-aluminium reinforcement in pvc pipes
- supports 3 DOF (pitch, roll and yaw)
- 5.1 surround
- screen on seatrig
- additional screen for Simtools


Next step: drives.

I am still having second thoughts whether I should give up pneumatics. I know I have to go for electric drives for the best experience, but it is a bigger investment.

Video's
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6G1L1FAJ9mFFe8UPA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HLPaBWK36UKBjrGr5


Images

great work!
IMO pneumatic is not good: noisy, not proportionnal...

I know. But I have some pneumatics lying around now, so it is a smaller investment for now.
After your reply, I started looking (again) for some cheap proportional valves. I found one now. So I will first try this out with pneumatics.

I had to find a better cilinder for roll and after that had to wait for some additional connectors.
Meanwhile I had to make Simtools working again on my new computer. And make my Arduino code ready for the three DOF over serial.


I now have it working with the Joystick plugin controlling the valves through an Arduino. So,
Steering left > roll left,
gas > pitch up,
Brake > pitch down

Next steps:
- Add YAW motion
- Connect the pots and make a feedback loop for position control.
- Make it work with Hawx, NFS most wanted and BMS.
- make Servo/speed control valves

Check out the video

Through the first Corona wave I haven't spend much time on my sim. I had my childeren at home and had to teach them. So almost no time for personal pleasure. So the project has been lying still.

Fortunately, the kids are now in school again. So I have been working on my sim again the last few weeks.

I now have

• 3DOF kind of working, pitch, roll and yaw. But the Yaw rotates around the front end. So it can also be used as sway of tractionloss.
• managed to make the pneumatics two speed using an additional valve with a lower flowspeed. It uses the lower speed when the positiondelta is below a certain threshold. This lowers overshoot and is good for positioncontrol. It uses highspeed for large delta's e.g. accelerations, G-effects.
• Made transistor board with leds to control the valves (connected to the Arduino Mega)
• trying to find the best games and simtools settings. It now works pretty good with NFS Most wanted 2005, Flight Simulator, WarThunder, DCS and on the joystick plugin (HAWX).

Some additional features I added to the experience are:

• Woojer Strap, a transducer for on your chest. It also works great with shooters.
• 3D printed head tracking clip with PS3 camera
• Addtional screen to display Simtools

I am still having doubts whether I should migrate to DC motors, now I have this working. I believe it will make the experience better, but als means a lot of new investments (time and money).

Next steps:

• Try-out more games and simtools settings
• Add Ir remote control to Arduino to switch modes in the controller (e.g. manual control of the sim by remote control)
• Add an emergency button to shut-off the controller. I already have an emergency button to shut-down the pressure system
• Enjoy the sim while gaming )

Video's
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UwJ4t2S3PTw4VWWw8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FPUpECmKfcdfNe9w5
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1mzMewWWZhxDsYaY6