2DOF motion platform concept

Hello everyone,
This is my first post here, although I have been an off and on lurker for a few years. Thank you all very much for the hours of reading and learning I have done here.

I really liked the joyrider when I used one, and the cloud flyer is pretty cool, but I really wanted to make a 2 seat (side by side) sim so I could take my wife flying, or whoever happened to be around. I also want 5 or 6 monitors. and a fully enclosed cockpit. I've played with quit a few ideas in small scale, with small servos but it just starts getting way to big.

I think I may have had a break through idea today. I was thinking about making a platform that would move that you could then mount any cockpit you wanted on top of it without going to all the time and expense of a stewart platform, then it came to me.
a few weeks ago I was watching one of the tech toys shows and they had this Omni gaming platform on.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1944625487/omni-move-naturally-in-your-favorite-game?ref=live

If I made a similar base, but it would only need a few strips of UHMW (slippery plastic) and then an opposite convex shape with a few more strips of UHMW in the opposite direction. (basically 2 bowls stacked together with slippery plastic lining each of them) Then mount a flat (flight) deck on top. I think I could make most of it out of scrapes I have and about $30 to $40 for plastic. It doesn't need to be a complete bowl as in the Omni. Since you would only need a few strips on each bowl, the bowl would only have to be in the area needed to support the plastic.

It seems almost too easy. There has to be something wrong with my thinking right? I would think you could mount a similar style joystick down through the center with a couple u-joints and a slip yoke and it would react very similarly to the joyrider but be on a platform with nothing sticking out around the outside. You could say goodbye to gimbal mounts and bearings. UHMW is awesome stuff. two pieces together are slipperier then a ball bearing. and there is really nothing to wear out. You could ad actuators underneath pretty easy. Heck, with all the money you will save and without much more trouble you could make the whole thing spin around in a circle.

So that's what I'm thinking. I have sketched up a few things and I am going to order a sheet of UHMW. I would really like to hear what everyone else thinks. Anyone ever tried anything like this?

Thanks in advance

I went ahead and ordered a sheet of UHMW today. When it arrives I will try and get something put together.
I was also thinking last night that the easiest way of moving this would be to add a stem sticking down from the center of the top bowl and adding an x y axis linear slide table under it in the center of the lower bowl. The moving table would just need a hole in the center for the stem of the top bowl to slide down through.
I would think it could all be balanced well enough so that it would take very little effort to move the platform.

The plastic arrived yesterday, Talk about super fast shipping. I got busy and made my first model. It does work, but I think I need to use a bigger diameter circle for my bowl shape. maybe I'll get some pics up today.

Please post a couple of picture so we can understand better what you are trying to achieve and we can advise on it to help make it a reality, love an idea that thinks out of the square.
Please keep us all posted.

Thanks Rob, but I may not be much longer

This is a very crude model I threw together in about ten minutes to play with my idea. Hopefully this will give you some kind of idea what I am thinking.

It does work, It is 2" = 1' scale. It would give me a 4' round deck, but the deck could extend past it.
I think the deck needs to be closer to the bottom of the arch in the circle so there is more downward pressure.

Hi @BADDERICK, that is an interesting idea you've come up with. It's nice to see something different being proposed. From your model, I would think that the axes would have to move independently to achieve motion.
Another member @Bruceaust created something similar using belt-driven guides.
see here -
The motion is very smooth (maybe too smooth for some) and the axes are stacked on top of each other.

Mike

Thanks for this video @AceOfSpies : it's a nice kind of joyrider!
(and yes too smooth for me for racing ;-)

That is cool, The cloud flyer Phoenix is similar except the wheels were under the seat.

Yes, the cloud flyer is a motion possible unit as well.

My idea is a little different, Because I am not using wheels, It can move in any direction and pivot.

Interesting design. Where would you put the motors?

I was thinking about a shaft coming out of the center in the bottom of the deck and an X Y linear slide table.( Think upside down joystick with slide table driving it) I was trying to be as "Simple" as possible. By widening the slide points and adding a shaft out the back and another actuator you could add a z axis for turning.

Thanks an interesting concept that might just work, Like with bruces design the axis are both seperated and roll in seperate trays giving a more joyrider action more suited to flight sims, can not produce the same vibration movements needed in a race sim, too me too smooth for racing , I like to feel when I go from a dirt track to a tar track, the difference is night and day.
Can see this making a nice flight sim indeed.

I was thinking for mainly flight sim

@eaorobbie Just thinking out loud, But couldn't you just ad a vibration motor on the deck to react to different road conditions? anyone done anything like that?
On my design I don't think it would matter if the deck were shaking/vibrating

Maybe even mount the deck on the deck on springs.

there was a thread somewhere I saw that a bloke used an old bass speaker with the cone taken out and some sort of metal frame out in , attached it the the frame and set it up bolted to the frame as a bass shaker.
I just had a look, and cannot find it, mind you , I am half asleep.
Have a dig around.

Thank you, I believe this is it. I had read that.
http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/diy-free-buttkicker.5111/#post-50625

I was thinking more just a vibration motor like in a Mobile/Handy. Bigger ofcourse