[WIP] seat movement

Post by **sharky** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:07 am

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Hi! i would like to make my office chair move according to the game. it would be cool to have a software like the headtracking ones, wich uses the image of the game instead of the image of the webcam. that means if the center of the screen moves left pin1 of the printer port gives signal out. if the center of the screen moves left pin2 of the printer port gives signal out, and same for up and down with pin 3 and 4. with that signals i could move the motors. is somebody able to create a prog like that?

maybe with various profiles for thedifferent racing games...

let me know..

sharky

Post by **android78** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:58 pm

I'm not sure, but have you looked at force feedback?
I believe that many games support force feedback joysticks which should provide similar to this request.
Other then that, assuming that you are thinking of this for a racing simulator, if you could get the source code and look at the vector calculation for the g-forces applied to the car and then output this would be the most realistic.
I don't know that just an on/off output for left/right would be much good, better to have an analog signal for the amount.

Post by **android78** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:14 pm

You could look at the drivers being used for this and emulate it:
http://www.cyberseat.co.uk/gameInterface.htm

Post by **Tril** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:00 pm

I found some links for you.

This looks like what you were looking for :
http://www.x-simulator.de/
If you click on "Force-Sender & Plugins", you'll see a list of supported games.

This looks like an interesting project similar to yours :
RaceSimCentral forums : My DIY Motion Platform

You can probably find other similar projects on the RaceSimCentral forums and on the x-simulator forums and all the help you wish for. On RSC, you could do a search for "x-simulator" or "x-sim". That should give you a few projects using that software.

Post by **sharky** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:23 am

hi! thanks guys.. i already subscribed to x-sim, i also posted a bit some months ago, unfortunately the electronics required for this project are quite expensive and homemade is way beyond my electronics skills..

Post by **android78** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:20 am

Just thought that if you were really interrested in this, there are many tallented people (some who know electronics) that could assist you with designs.
I believe the hardest would actually be the mechanical side of it. I think the cheapest way would be to use pneumatics, not the most responsive, but I think (if strapped for cash) that hydraulics would be expensive.

Post by **sharky** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:34 am

preumatics are really expensive and youd.. you hear the ariflow allways and need a compressor too.

i would go for a electronic solution. wispermotors are really powerfull.

Post by **android78** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:39 pm

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-air-muscles!/

Post by **sharky** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:41 pm

i love this site.. i spent so many days on it..

by the way, the muscle idea is super, but unfortunately its a pulling solution.. simualtors need a pull/push solution.. like actuators or motors.

Post by **android78** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:46 pm

Pushing is just pulling in the oposite direction.

Post by **sharky** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:06 am

yeah, but i would need two muscles, one in front the other one at the back... wispermotor is much easier at the end.. ^maybe when i have some spear money ill build this rig and throw some moeny in the trash to make the electronics..

Post by **sharky** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:48 am

ok i have the motor now..

a 500W 24 V motor with a 33/1 reduction! that thingy should kick reaaaalllllllllly hard..

the electronics is the next! ill make the controller by thanos from x-simulator.de

then ill use the x-sim software to move my chair.. once it works for games and i have the hardware then i can work on the software..

lets see...

Post by **crim3** » Thu May 01, 2008 12:14 pm

You could also try to add vibration to a chair, not only movement. The intensity could be a function of engine revs and speed in a racing sim, for example. I usually go by train to work, but I took the car some days ago just for fun. On the highway, with the noise of the running and the music I almost could not hear the engine, but I could knew when to change the gear by the vibration of the car without the need to look at the revs needle. Then I thought that it would help a lot to the immersion in racing sims.

Post by **sharky** » Fri May 02, 2008 12:49 pm

hehe i posted about the same idea some days ago on the xsim forum!

here are some more explanations to my plan:

motor:

idea explanation:

sizes are a bit out of proportion, and at the back side of the wheels there would be a protection to avoid the chair falling backwards..

Post by **crim3** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:03 am

just remember to wear your helmet :)

Post by **stee1hed** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:19 am

crim3 wrote:just remember to wear your helmet

And also make sure you can lock the wheels on your chair!

While we're at it, you may want to look into short term and long term disability insurance.

Post by **Likay** » Sat May 03, 2008 12:41 pm

I still say: Test it on your brother first!.

cheers

Post by **sharky** » Sun May 04, 2008 5:38 am

ol nice to see so much support and trust in my work..

ill post some clips!

Post by **android78** » Thu May 08, 2008 3:54 am

I think I just saw Sharky fly over Australia!!! You might want to turn the chairs response down a smidge.

Just kidding, Hope all goes well. I'd be interrested to see what you come up with... And how well it works.

Post by **yuriythebest** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:57 am

send stereoPhotos of it and stuff

Post by **sharky** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:43 pm

hahaha i might use a 6-bar air piston with my dive-tank.. 220-bar..

lol might splat me onto the wall or shoot the piston up to my a**..

Post by **android78** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:23 pm

sharky wrote:hahaha i might use a 6-bar air piston with my dive-tank.. 220-bar.. lol might splat me onto the wall or shoot the piston up to my a**..

Whatever you're into, man.

Would that be considered cyber $E*? Maybe you could make that commercially. I'm sure there'd be a market for it, if someone isn't already making them. lol

Post by **sharky** » Mon May 19, 2008 5:23 am

yes there are some for sale.. but they cost a lot.. the full version sales for about 3000$.. what i am making is a 1DOF (yes only one for now..

) simulator which shall be as cheap as possible..

the motor i am using costs about 300 euro (450$) if bought with the gearbox, i didnt pay it so this is already the first poing for why it is not good to sell..

the electronics i am making cost in total 100 euro (150$) so there are many problems for merchandising such a rig..

but ill post the whole construction process..

cu

igor

Post by **sharky** » Mon May 19, 2008 10:24 am

so here is an update.. today i got the boards! next week i should get the electronic components for the boards..

i ordered the boards at www.platinenbelichter.de the guy (heinz) makes a perfect job for a good price. the boards are beyond my best expectation and costed all toghether 24 ero including shipment. so if you need any board and dont have the possibility to make them on your own i really reccomend this to everybody..

here is a pic of the baords:

Post by **sharky** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:07 am

big news today!

a lot of new parts have been found..

2x 12V 18Ah sealed lead batteries
10 kohm potty
shaft for the gearbox
steelmounting for the gearbox to the chair..

bye

sharky

Post by **yuriythebest** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:09 am

looking good!

Post by **sharky** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:29 pm

nope..

i tested the motor and it is turning 6 times too fast.. need to find a solution but i think i have to change motor..

Post by **Tril** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:57 pm

Or add a gearbox. It will slow down the rpm and increase the torque.
Or it's possible to buy a speed controller for a 24V motor. It's a bit hard to make one that works well and won't burn.

Post by **sharky** » Thu May 22, 2008 7:38 am

i found abetter solution.. i use 12 V instead of 24, have 125 W instead of 500, still more tehn enough power, less batttery usage, and get 1.5 rpm which is ok..

this allows me to add also the seocnd motor on the rotation axle of the chair..

Post by **LukePC1** » Thu May 22, 2008 10:24 am

And if you want it to go faster at a later point it might be relativly easy to do

Post by **sharky** » Thu May 22, 2008 10:53 pm

lol! usually they use a 45W motor.. so i think that 125 is fast enough..

with 24 V i would reach from the most front position to the most back position of the chair in about 0.08 seconds..

then my neck will break, and my body be slammed out of th ewhindow..

thats a bit too dangerous! and with the 12 V i can attach a second motor to the main axle of the chair and make the chair turn in curves.. but for that i have to find correct gearheads..

Post by **LukePC1** » Fri May 23, 2008 1:41 am

if you push enough against the lean, it should slow the process down.
I saw people on a bike simulator accellerating with about 500 to 600Watt, so a Human could be much stronger than that motor - but only for short times...

And there are a lot of other devices, which have much more power - like a drilling machine with about 1000Watt - and you can still stopp it by hand, if it's not going very fast at that moment

well you're the engeneer, so you will get it working. Remind me to read my stuff (nonsense?), after you have finished

Post by **sharky** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:29 am

i cant push against the lean since i won't be touching the floor..

ill be completely in movement..

including legs...

moreover, a drilling machine, with 1000 watt at full power will most likely make a kake of your hand if you try to stop it..

you probably stopped it when it was at min speed and no power.. the output of my gearbox is 90 Nm, stop that with your hand ,r even with your entire weight/body and i give you whatever you want..

(90 Nm at 125 W) so its way more at 500

cu
igor

Post by **LukePC1** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:28 am

May I wear gloves?

Or may I pull the plug - that will stopp it easyly.

I'd like to have a S-3D device of every kind.

- IZ3D
- Zalman
- DLP TV
- Plasma TV
- Planar Rig
- Z800
- TDVisor (HD)
- everything I forgot

And a GOOD rig to use all the stuff

Post by **sharky** » Sat May 24, 2008 12:56 pm

here are some new images..

this should give you an idea of how the pedals will be attached to the chair and move accordingly..

Post by **android78** » Tue May 27, 2008 3:35 am

I'm scared for you sharky!!! Hey, before you test this thing, can you please update you will with my name against all you own?

Post by **LukePC1** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:38 am

android78 wrote:I'm scared for you sharky!!! Hey, before you test this thing, can you please update you will with my name against all you own?

Do you want to test the chair after that again? May I get everything from you AND Sharky after that? Maybe except the chair

What about a Dummy? You could test with cushions and see, how far they fly

Honestly: that engine can't be so strong, can it? The worst thang that could happen is that the chair breaks and you fall down...

Post by **sharky** » Thu May 29, 2008 11:12 pm

there are big news on this project.. ill post about it later this eavening!

well to bend the chair forward half of the whole travel i needed two packs of 50 cds.. that makes 1.7 kgs.. this means that with around 5 kgs i have the whole travel vcovered because the tilting point si really precisely under my center of gravity.. now the motor pushes on the arms where i need it with 280 kgs at 125W.. so i have around 175 kg of force that can be converted to pure speed..

wanna try?

Post by **sharky** » Fri May 30, 2008 12:20 pm

hi all!

as told this morning there are big news on the project:

i ahve the axels which will be the pivot point for the arms that move the chair,
i got the electronic components on wednesday
i finished the two control boards today

here are the pics...

Post by **Likay** » Fri May 30, 2008 1:21 pm

Someone been busy...

Good job. You even enhanced the currentability by soldering the highcurrent wires.

[WIP] seat movement

[WIP] seat movement

Force Feedback

cyberseat

Re. Electronics.

I just find this interresting...

urm...