Engineering in detail

Fundamental principle

  • three axes of motion

    Axes of motion

A hollow hemisphere is mounted free to move hemispherically. Three servo-motors enable motion about three axes (three DOFs): roll (±15°), pitch (±15°), and yaw (±15°). The respective applications are place in the hollow hemisphere along with the user.

Even large 'payloads' can be highly dynamically moved with low energy expenditure, because the centre of gravity lies at the sphere's midpoint in this construction. This principle of motion enables very gentle, but extremely effective, transfer physical forces of motion.

  • Additional moving axis

    Additional axis

An optional linear motor can be integrated to lift and lower the seat base. Additional forces of motion are transmitted through this axis, H.

  • enables differentiated vertical motion)

    Four additional axes

Four optional linear motors can be integrated to lift and lower the seat base. Additional forces of motion are transmitted through four axis, HR, VR, VL and HL.

Representable motions and inertial forces*

Axis Motions Inertial forces
Pitching about the lateral axis Uphill, downhill (vehicle) climbing, descending (aircraft) Acceleration, deceleration
Rolling about the longi-tudinal axis Bank Curve
Yaw about the vertical axis Rotational motion Veer, come around (vehicle) yaw (air-craft)
Vertical axis Lifting, lowering Decompression, compression (vehicle) take off, landing (aircraft)

If the application software provides this

In one scenario to be used, at least two, but often several factors must be transferred simultaneously to the body. The respective product is able to transfer the steering motion nearly linearly and sensitively via omnidirectionally sliding, hemispherical mountings

Drive

  • Special axis-drive production

    Axis drive

The control electronics compares arriving steering signals (rotational speed, acceleration, nominal angular position) with the actual values. The deviations determined are converted into the corre-sponding control signals to the servo motors via specially produced drive units in order to arrive at the positions to be achieved for each individual axis.

The nominal values can be achieved extremely quickly and dynamically in connection with the hemispherical mounting. In this way, a motion characteristic of heretofore unattained sensitivity is realized in the area of simulation engineering.

Lay-out design

  • Four standard sizes

    Standard sizes

The centre of gravity of the pay-load to be moved determines the hemisphere's dimension. Different standard sizes are available:

  • Ø  800mm
  • Ø1000mm
  • Ø1500mm
  • Ø2000mm

Controller

A modern 230 V, multi-axis controller, as used mainly in industrial robots, precisely regulates the axis drive's activation. The number axes required (2, 3, 4, or more) determines the control unit's expansion stage. We can use this modular system quite individually to configure the controller to your requirements.

Imaging

The DK 2 or the consumer-version, CV1, of the VR glasses from Oculus serves as the display.

The engineering of 3D VR

3D-VR glasses basically combine two technologies. First is the representation of events with depth effect called 3D; second is automatic adjustment of the represented field of vision to correspond with momentary head movement using the so-called tracking system.

This means that the VR glasses always show you the visual field that would correspond to your mo-mentary head position or head motion in the virtual world.

For instance if you lean your head forward and down, you see your virtual self's feet in the VR glasses. If you turn your head rightward and down, you see lower right part of the virtual world. Thus you move completely integrated in the virtual world.

Processor

The high-tech processor deployed for smooth VR representation simultaneously assumes processing of the application software. A second desktop processor provides assistance by establishing the connection for multi-axis control.

Construction

The motion device has been very compactly constructed. The overall motion device including the controller and processor units is fixed on a base-plate of pallet-type construction.

Fork-lift or lift-truck fork slots are available on the front side for transport. (A pallet truck is unsuita-ble.)

A hood tarpaulin reliably protects the entire device against weathering.

Dimensions of HS3-800

Length Width Height Mass
2,27 m 1,2 m 1,4 m 350 kg (depending upon equipment)

Patent

Apparatus for simulating the forces acting on a body in correlation with a computer-generated virtual reality. Patent no. 10 2008 032 231.