Kate's Rig

Hi, I'm Kate and I fly in DCS using VR. I want to build a DIY motion platform to add to the immersion. Hopefully a hexapod/Stewart platform-type for full 6DoF, although if possible I would like to start with just 1-2 DoF and work up. Rolling--and only rolling--makes me motion-sick in VR, so if I can get just that axis taken care of quickly, and then add other axes later, that would be ideal.

My biggest questions right now are what materials to build the base and platform out of, and how to figure out how strong they need to be.

hello, the base must support your weight plus what you already have, such as a steering wheel, seat, pedal, gearbox, I'm also new, but I made my simulator with what I had, Arduino uno, motor controller, two 12 Volt motors , with that plus many cables you would already have to put together a 2dof, tell me what you have and I will guide you with my basic knowledge, there are many people here who know a lot and if you are as lucky as I was they will also help you

Thanks for starting the thread for me. I've poked around the FAQ some already, but there's a lot of information there and it's a bit overwhelming. I'm not sure where to start.

Right now I'm more focused on constructing the physical platform; I figure I can worry about the Simtools software later, once I actually have some hardware to work with. Is that a reasonable assumption, or am I overlooking something?

On an unrelated note, I picked up a new VR kayaking game that released today, and it's pretty great, but it's also making me motion-sick, especially on tight turns. There's only one real axis of movement involved--yaw--so I wonder, if I put a motor on a swivel chair, could Simtools turn the chair to match the turning of the kayak? Will Simtools work with any VR game, or just ones it's designed for?

It doesn't, you use VR controllers to move a virtual paddle, and steering is just like in RL, you turn by paddling more on one side.

But last night I had a second session where I sat in a regular old unpowered swivel chair, and turned with my feet. That helped a lot with the motion sickness, even though my twisting didn't match the movements in the sim. So I guess never mind about that. Back to flying.

Here is my current cockpit. It's very much a work a progress, but it's good enough to fly with. The frame is 1.5" extruded aluminum from 8020.net.


And here's the notion I had, for a roll axis-only stopgap that I could build mostly out of leftover 8020 parts. I would only need to buy or make the actuators and motors, and the pivot joints. The dimensions need to be tweaked, and from what you said it sounds like I don't need that much actual range of motion, but you get the idea:


It has the advantage of being cheap and quick, since I already have most of the materials, and I'd use actuators and motors that could be repurposed for the final hexapod platform. But I'm not sure those central pillars will bear the weight.

Do you mean something like this?

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/concept-before-building-my-diy-2dof.7345/

Okay, after digging through some other threads some more I think I get what you mean now.

One thing I might have failed to make clear is that I am definitely doing a full frame. Because I fly in VR, I can't see my controls. They need to be where my hands expect to find them, so they need to move with the seat.

Now I'm going to ask what is probably a really dumb question. As I'm simulating an aircraft, not a car, does the uni joint still have to be under the seat? The pivot point of the real aircraft is far behind the pilot. I can't put the real joint all the way back, my apartment isn't that big. But can I move it back to, say, the rear beam of the current frame? Would my brain even be able to tell the difference if I did, while immersed in VR?

Thanks. I do appreciate your patience.

Okay, I've added a new well-braced crossbeam to my cockpit to serve as the attachment point for a universal joint. Apologies for the crude mockup of the joint. Using extruded aluminum means I can slide it forward and back whenever tinkering with the cockpit changes the center of gravity, just by loosening some bolts on each side.



I also designed a floor base, using 2x6 and 2x8 lumber to keep costs down. Is wood going to be strong enough? I have room to make it another foot wider if need be. It's designed with 15 degrees of rotation in mind--can I get by with less, and will I miss it if I do?

Lengthwise I have plenty of room. Is there any other reason to choose a compact design over a shoulder mount?

Since I don't have any motors or CTC levers yet, I'm not sure what inputs to use. How long should a CTC lever be? Is there an advantage to making it longer or shorter?

In the help file it says you can improve pitch efficiency by changing the rest angle of the CTC lever to the proper position. What's the proper position?

Thanks! A smaller range of motion will make things easier. D'you think 8-10 degrees would be enough?

Hmmm...


I don't want to spend a whole lot of time or money on the base, since it's just going to be replaced when I move up to a hexapod. It only needs to last however long it takes me to afford the other four motors. Figure maybe a year or so. I can reuse the beams themselves for another project I have in mind later. Those corner braces too, come to think of it.

I think I've reached the point where I can start putting numbers into SimCalc and dialing in the motor requirements. Thanks!

It's begun!


Managed to coordinate with a car-having friend to get these home, and another friend at work has boatloads of spare primer. I have Tuesday and Wed off from work next week, I'm setting myself a goal of having these tsp'd, sanded and primered by the end of Wed.

What should I look for in a universal joint? How big does it need to be?