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Ultra Low Budget 2DOF Build. Home Stretch

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by BD Jones, Feb 9, 2022.

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  1. BD Jones

    BD Jones New Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    I got laid off 9 months ago and money has been super tight. I've still been hellbent on building a DIY motion sim rig so I would save up a few dollars and buy one piece at a time. I know it looks terrible but this is the first iteration. I finally got the chair moving and know the next modifications I'm doing. I made a short video compiling the build process so far. In total right now the total cost of materials has been $272. I've spent about 15-20 hours fiddling with it.
    • Like Like x 2
    BD Jones, Feb 9, 2022
    #1
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    Creative recycling and careful purchases :thumbs

    The levers, as you have found, are way too long. With such limited inherent design leverage torque is really important, at a guess try about 40mm CTC on the levers.

    The other issue is that the universal joint looks too flimsy and hence unwanted lateral twist is evident. You could use a bigger universal joint, say off an old car tailshaft, or consider panhard rods between the upper and lower frames.

    What are the control boards, code and PSU specs being used?
    • Agree Agree x 1
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2022
    noorbeast, Feb 9, 2022
    #2
  3. BD Jones

    BD Jones New Member Gold Contributor

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    Thank you for the awesome tips. I didn't think about a panhard bar. That would be a quick and dirty way to stabilize it.
    I'm using a 12v 20amp PSU from a dead Prusa Mendel 3D printer I built 10 years ago. I currently only have the free sim tools demo and I'm running SMC3 on the Arduino and driving the motors with ITB2's.
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2022
    BD Jones, Feb 9, 2022
    #3
  4. BD Jones

    BD Jones New Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    I did some research on panhard bars and came across the Watt's Linkage. So I went to Goodwill and found a folding golf bag caddy for $10, took it home and disassembled it and now the sim rig has a Watt's Linkage. The yaw due to lost motion is SO much better. Thanks again for the great idea.

    I also took your advice and drilled the holes in the lever to 40mm CTC.

    I made a quick update video showing the Watt's Linkage.

    Attached Files:

    • Like Like x 1
    BD Jones, Feb 10, 2022
    #4
  5. BD Jones

    BD Jones New Member Gold Contributor

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    20220209_223658.jpg

    It turns out the handle to the golf caddy also makes a good hangar for the VR headset. I sat on the chair and moved the seat around. It has much more power now and seems ready for its first real test with a game. Of course there has to be a hiccup right? I plugged my vr headset into my laptop and it wasn't turning on. I disassembled the laptop to figure out what was wrong with it. It had previous water damage that I repaired so I figured it was corrosion. It's an Acer Helios 300 with a 1060 gpu. Turns out there's a broken pin on the only Type A USB 3.0 port. I found the part on Mouser and will fix it when it arrives.

    There is a USB C port on the laptop but I don't have any peripherals for it. I did order a USB C hub which should provide the speed needed for the VR headset, I'm just not sure if it will provide the power.

    Attached Files:

    BD Jones, Feb 10, 2022
    #5
  6. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    The down side of hanging a VR HMD like that is that it is tudned into a dust catcher, which is not good for the lens.

    You can make or buy a foam insert to protect the lens when not in use.
    • Like Like x 1
    noorbeast, Feb 10, 2022
    #6
  7. BD Jones

    BD Jones New Member Gold Contributor

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    I did a caveman fix on the laptop usb port. I just had to test this thing out. I finally got to sit in it and drive. I can't believe it!

    • Like Like x 2
    BD Jones, Feb 12, 2022
    #7