racing simulator chair - opinions needed from people who know electronics

[Whitesupraboy2]

Now I have wanted a simulator for racing games for ages, so been looking into things from the very cool although based for Flight games really. Love my racing games!!

 

 

to the more clever and excellant setups.

 

Notice Gear changer lights and gear your in

 

 

Both the exampels above are home made. Hardware build wise I dont have an issue and alot of people have moved to using wiper motors or window motors.

 

I need something that can be easily stored out the way, the project in the link below sounds good, however my electronics is shocking, anyone with electronics experience explain to me how complicated this looks. Also not to sure what the servo is doing as he said he removed the motor and attached wires but it looks like the servo has a connecting rod.

 

http://www.x-simulator.de/forum/my-simple-sim-motion-chair-t1667.html

 

The software is open source so able to use all sorts of data (i.e gear chanegs etc...) and someone is working on xbox link at moment, plus side of this software is it can run on its own PC so if it crashes doesnt ruin your race.

[JustGav]

They would be some fairly hefty servos.

 

An alternative option although it may end up throwing you around a lot more would be air driven actuators

 

BUT, that looks VERY VERY cool

 

Hardest part will always be getting the software mapped to physical action, making a seat move is the easy bit

[Whitesupraboy2]

They would be some fairly hefty servos.

 

An alternative option although it may end up throwing you around a lot more would be air driven actuators

 

yea those are other options people have been using for a long time, however accuracy and precision isnt there. I say this but i believe the cool vid may actualyl be actuators as there are other projects on the site showing that guys build.

 

I dont think the servo's are being used is the project physcially but more to send correct voltage to the motors. because if you look at the servo's and the rod connecting them to the motor in the vid they are about 0.5cm thick, whilst obviously the main rods connected to chair look 1.5cm thick

[JustGav]

Dig out some lego/meccano and build a scale model version first, and then recreate it in large scale once you have ironed out the control mechanism

 

Use a test dummy first before it loops round wrapping you in lots of nasty wires and metal, but definitely give it a go, would be awesome.

 

Get yourself a 3 screen set up for side views as well

[Whitesupraboy2]

Dig out some lego/meccano and build a scale model version first, and then recreate it in large scale once you have ironed out the control mechanism

 

Use a test dummy first before it loops round wrapping you in lots of nasty wires and metal, but definitely give it a go, would be awesome.

 

Get yourself a 3 screen set up for side views as well

 

good thinking with lego, night have some tecnic somewhere.

 

Thats what i liked about guys project simply 3 boards involved which can be nicely tidied up into a box, some of the projects have wires and mess everywhere!!

[Whitesupraboy2]

 

Hardest part will always be getting the software mapped to physical action, making a seat move is the easy bit

 

Missed this part, this part is actually quite easy, because its open source they have test programs, so can simply make the chair move without using a programs racing data. If you have wired it correctly and soldered well it should move.

 

On plus side the simulation games have the map files already created by the community which you can use as a base and tailor to your needs.

 

Community seems good...just a pain its deutsch

[Thorin]

I so want the one in the first vid

[Whitesupraboy2]

Been reading up alot more, they have their own wiki with tutorials which make it much easier to understand, been reading up on the types of circuit boards to get smoother movement and less humming noise.