Team-Radical Motion Simulator

Hey all, this simulator is built by my team of 3 mechanical engineering students in the over a span of 14 weeks as part of our final year project and public exhibition showcase.

The simulator is actuated using electro-pneumatics computed by a dual networked PC setup and running on proprietary software as well as X-Sim software. So you can very much qualify it as an X-sim simulator! Here are the videos of it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYTt5Y_cEsc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhiD6I2r5XA

Re: Radical Motion Simulator

Hi Shaunzer,

Nice simulator!

We would like to see more about the mechanical part (motors? hydraulics?) and perhaps some info on the electronics... :thbup:

Regards, Thanos

Re: Radical Motion Simulator

Hi tronicgr,

The simulator runs on electro pneumatics. It motion is computed on 2 independent networked PCs and linked to the Velleman USB 2.0 card. Will post more pictures of the build process of the SIM in due time.

Re: Motion Simulator

Here is the build process of the simulator I will be sharing with you all.

The system uses 2 festo 5/3 middle closed valves for movement of the simulator and two 5/2 valves (mixture of festo and SMC valves) which are used for moving miscellaneous components such as the simulator locking/latching system as well as the controller forward/backward adjust.

2x 63mm cylinders are used for the pitch motion with the air inlet and outlet variable so that the speed of the air entering and exiting the cylinder can be controlled so as to control the speed of the simulator given only a single 5/3 valve used for pitch (the other 5/3 valve together with 2 more 40mm cylidners are used for the roll motion).

Initially, custom POT mounts were created for and mounted onto bearings, at Rotational POTS are used.

Re: Radical Motion Simulator

Here you can see the sim in operation (you can see the videos shown earlier in the post in action) what it does is the valves are made to switch as fast as it can so that air flow can be regulated into the cylinders (you can hear fast clicking sounds in the video). Since 2 cylinders are mounted per axis, they can serve to counter's forces so that the speed and smoothness of the sim can be varied as well.

The sim had few other additional eye candies like status lights and cool LED fans.

Other standard features include the logitech momo racing wheel and surround speakers on top of the webcam for multiplayer.

As mentioned, rotary POTs were used, but was set back due to lack of resolution. In the end linear pots were used, we are looking into expanding the sensitivity with rotary encoders and/or light gate rotary sensors.

Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the pics and the additional infos!

Thats a really impressive simulator, you guys have built! :clap:

Are there any ambitions to use proportional valves for smoother speed control? It would be possible to drive them with X-Sim and the velleman pwm output, if you would connect it to amplifiers (transistor circuits). Profiler2 will support proportional pwm output via the velleman interface as well. And its data output speed will be configurable (dependend on the performance of your hardware) as well, unlike the fixed slow 33ms of the current Profiler1.

So you could save the money for those incredible expensive commercial pwm controllers for the valves.

I would be pleased if you would try to optimise/upgrade your simulator with X-Sim and proportional control. :thbup:

Regards
Christian

Edit:
Could you make, by chance, a vid of your simulator that shows the synchronisation between the game and simulator movements, as its hard to evaluate from the exhibition video.
Perhaps onbaord would be best!? And just game and valves sound. No music please.
I am just hardly able to see which effects are triggering your simulator to move.

Hi guys,
This is the best looking sim, i've seen on the net so far. Are the drawings in some way open source? That would be great!!
Since welding is not my problem, but the rest is (electronics etc.), I would be very pleased if you would get me on track. In respect of the electronics I have a series of questions. Please help ;-)
- I understand that I have to mount four pneumatic lineair actuators. And, that these are heavy ones. Am I correct? These things are pricy, aren't they?Are there, besides of the festo ones, any suggestions on which actuators to use? Please name the model.
- Further, I have to connect the actuators to a valvesystem. Any specific suggestions on how to achieve this part of the project would be highly appreciated as well.
- Do I need a circuitbord and, if so, is it available as a prefab and, if so, which one exactly? The Velleman USB 2.0 card is mentioned. Is this controling the valves? If so, how exactly?
- Finally, the programming part of the project. I suppose x-sim is used. Do you have any suggestions on the configuration of the program in respect of this project.

Let this be a joyfull world. Thanx !!

kind regards from holland