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Rollercoaster 2dof build plan

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by Cale, Dec 27, 2016.

  1. Cale

    Cale Member

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    Hi guys. New to the forums but have been lurking for awhile.
    Im now wanting to dig into a 2dof build with it being used for rollercoaster simulation only with a htc vive or oculus rift.
    Here i have a basic drawing of my idea and am wanting some advice on my design from all you experts!
    So basically looking at my design im wanting to get the most angle out of the seat as possible to really feel like your going down and up the dips of a coaster. To do that i have placed the seat quite high off the platform around 20cm. The users feet wont touch the ground and will also hang over the front for the dangling feeling. I was thinking of using the motion dynamics worm drive motors but looking at there 50:1 or 60:1 gear ratio for the extra torque needed to pull the seat back up from large angles of descent and ascent im looking at getting. To compensate with the lower rpm of the higher torque gears i would have a longer lever arm at around 15cm?
    Also i was wondering with my motor position almost close to horizontal to shoulder height will that also help with less stress pushing and pulling the seat with a person on it? Or would the typical 15 degree angle most people use do the exact same thing?
    Please let me know your thoughts and ideas. Thanks guys!
    20161227_194944.jpg
  2. Daguru

    Daguru Rally drivers do it in the Dirt

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    Hi @Cale good luck with your build, I think you will lose out on sway and roll motions with the motors so high.
  3. momoclic

    momoclic Active Member

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    +1 with @Daguru the engines will give their best performance by being lower, or even under the seat if they are sufficiently powerful.
    What motorization do you have?
  4. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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  5. Cale

    Cale Member

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    Thanks for the replies guys. So noorbeast you think that a compact design with the motors mounted under the seat with them bolted to the thigh height of the seat would be the optimal position for me to get the best motion and biggest angle for going up and down dips? Would you think rear or front mounted motors would work better. Your link showed a compact design with front mounted i noticed.
    Also the motors im looking at are the motion dynamics 200w 50:1 64rpm 30 torque. Do you guys think that would be suitable or should i go for a 60:1 and slightly less rpm. The angle i can make the chair move with someone on it is very important. I really want to feel like im goingup and down the coaster.
    Thanks again.
  6. momoclic

    momoclic Active Member

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    With such motors the best implantation is the motors under the seat, placed at 90 ° from each other.
    Two possible locations:
    - One motor per axis (no mixing of Picth and Roll movements, easy focusing)
    - By shifting the two axes of 90 ° collaborative engines (mixing of movements, energy saving)
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Either the 50:1 or 60:1 will work, I use them on my compact sim: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/dx-racer-compact-simulator.5866/

    However, with VR large axis movements are not that necessary to fool your brain and have a couple of inherent problems, one is tracking and the other is to have the sim be fast enough so that there is no perceived latency, as that is the last thing you want in VR.
    • Agree Agree x 1
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  8. Cale

    Cale Member

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    Thanks again noorbeast. I have started looking at your dx racer and am loving the build. A few more questions. I wont be using vr for a little while so i will also be using a arge tv screen in the mean time so i would like alot of movement. With a 50:1 or 60:1 gear what type of angles could i get whilst also being able to comfortable pull an 85kg person back to a neutral position on the seat?
    Would a front or rear mounted motor work better for getting better angles of motion?
    Would the 50:1 30nm torque 64rpm be better for pulling the weight from large angles or the 60:1 36nm torque 54rpm?
    Thanks guys.
    20161228_064822.jpg
  9. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    More torque allows for moving greater mass, but at some cost to speed.

    Design wise levers moving more than 38-40 degrees up and down are inefficient at utilizing the available torque. Think of it like trying to push a door closed. If you are 90 degrees to the door you can likely push it closed with your little finger. But if turn 90 degrees and you are pushing on the door edge then it is very ineffectual.

    So if you don't use lever movement exceeding 40 degrees up and down you would be able to move an 85kg person even with 25:1 gearboxes, but 50:1 provides more headroom and can't be back driven when not powered. I have had big boy friends who are way over 85kg test my sim:

    Last edited: Jan 2, 2017
  10. Cale

    Cale Member

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    I didnt realize you were also in Australia noorbeast. I have been reading through your compact 2dof build and am admiring the craftmanship. I think i will use it as inspiration.
    So basically your saying i should be theoretically ok with pushing and pulling 85kgs if i keep it under 40 degrees. So if i was to create a lever with a few different holes to go from 35 degrees down to around 20 degrees and test the motors capacity to drive those angles that could work?
    What motor out of the 2 i mentioned would work best for maybe 35 degrees of motion one way? If i can go the 50:1 that would be great so i can gain some extra rpm but am happy to use a 60:1 if needed.
    Thanks again.
  11. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Plenty of active Aussie members here :thumbs

    I am talking about the degree of lever movement being 40 degrees up and down, or less, not the seat. The seat movement will be affected by the design choices.

    Best to play with some design models to kick around ideas and then figure out what will be needed to drive it.
  12. Cale

    Cale Member

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    I follow you now noorbeast. So my lever which is connected to the motor cannot go more than 40 degrees either way or i will suffer large mounts of torque loss. So i basically have to stay within those parameters.
    I dont understand how my design affects the outcome of my seats maximum angles it can achieve?
    If i put my pivot point basically in the centre ofmy chair platform which it will basically end up being as i only have a chair with a person on it and no pedals or wheel attached wouldnt that mean my levers would then dictate how far i can tilt my seat as i would mount the levers to the back of the chair at thigh level.
    Thanks.
  13. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    The pivot point needs to be the balance point: https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...-of-gravity-to-balance-a-motion-simulator.55/

    The distance from the balance point to the lever for a given lever movement, say 40 degrees up and down, will affect how much the seat moves, but also what it takes to drive it.

    The shorter the distance from the balance point to the lever the more the seat moves, but it takes more power to drive it as there is less inherent leverage.

    Conversely, the longer the distance from the balance point the greater the inherent leverage, like the arms of a wheelbarrow, so less torque is needed but the seat movement would be less for a given lever length moving up or down 40 degrees.

    Hence why I say design affects everything. Here is a visual representation (not to scale):

    angles.jpg
  14. Cale

    Cale Member

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    Very clear now noorbeast thanks.
    So im probably looking at the 60:1 gear if i decide to put the lever closer to the balance point and the 50:1 if i go further out eg the back of the seat.
    Where did you buy your jrk 12v12 and hall sensors from noorbeast seeing as your in australia we would probably buy from the same place?
    Thanks.
  15. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    A word of advice, don't go ordering parts until you have finalized your design.

    I got my Hall effect pots from Element14: http://au.element14.com/bi-technolo...fs/sensor-hall-0-2v-20v-to-10v-pin/dp/2319662

    And have also used these Hall Sensors, which are a tad cheaper: http://au.rs-online.com/web/p/potentiometers/1642661/

    I have previously got JRKs direct from Pololu: https://www.pololu.com/product/1393

    And also got JRKs domestically from Oceancontrols, which was cheaper and quicker: http://oceancontrols.com.au/POL-1393.html

    Working out what design suits you is always a series of decisions and compromises, so spend some time working out your design carefully. There are things you may not yet of thought of, such as wormdrives having some play, so the smaller the CTC the less noticeable it is when the motors reverse, with the CTC itself being dependent on the mass to be shifted, the required linear speed and placement of the motor relative to the pivot:

    Last edited: Dec 28, 2016
  16. Cale

    Cale Member

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    Thanks for all the help so far noorbeast. I will now take the advice and start an indepth plan for my build.
    I will be back.
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  17. Cale

    Cale Member

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    @noorbeast i was wondering what size your aluminium was you used for your framing of the compact platform you built. Also the thickness of the aluminium?
    How did you go about cutting the aluminium. Did you just use a hacksaw?
    Thanks.
  18. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    The frame is plain 50x50x2mm box aluminum with two 50x50mm angle caps either end and two plain 25x50mm box aluminum support bars.

    I originally used 40x40x6mm aluminum angle inside the 50x50mm to brace the motor mounts and provide support for the anti-vibration feet on each corner, but latter changed that to angle iron with welded nuts as the tapped threads of the aluminum showed wear from me constantly pulling it apart.

    I use a drop saw I borrowed to cut it, though where I purchased it from, Nubco in Launceston, can cut it to size. With a steady and you could use a hacksaw, it is easy to cut.

    A 380x490x5mm aluminum plate, bought online as an off cut, is used as a suspended base, and while it does add to the rigidity is not really necessary when a support bar (2dof) and later support plate (3dof) is used between the motors.

    Keep in mind aluminum dust and shards are not good for you, so use gloves and mask when using power tools.
  19. Cale

    Cale Member

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    Noorbeast as im going to be mounting the motors behind the chair and having the levers attach at thigh height is there any benefit to attaching them further out from the back of the chair or closer in?
    I have attached a picture for reference.
    Thanks.

    Attached Files:

  20. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    See @Tim McGuire's comments here regarding engine placement and effective angles, though keep in mind my subsequent comment that efficient use of torque varies depending on design: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/2dof-build-log-thread.7559/page-8#post-120737

    A compact design needs more torque to drive it, but in some respects makes better use of it.

    In your sketch on the left rod it looks like the bottom tie rod angle may lead to binding, which is why I am guessing you extended the top right mount. If that is the concern then an alternative is to mount the rods on the inside rather than outside of the motors, or you could angle the motors.

    It is hard to comment further without side and top views, plus rough dimensions.