Anyone using a motion platform with VR?

[MacThai_75]

Is anybody using a motion platform for your seat/cockpit with your HMD?

If so, what platform are you using?

 

Did you connect the sensor/camera(s) to the platform, or did you mount it stationary?

 

I'm going to get a platform and I 'think' the sensor for my CV1 HMD will be best if mounted to the platform for it to all work and for it to look properly when in cockpit view ... but it might need to be stationary for outside views.

So I'm thinking the best trade off would be to mount it to the platform.

Any thoughts?

 

Also, if you do have a platform, did it help at all with the type of motion sickness that some people sometimes experience due to their eyes seeing movement that their body doesn't experience, when in a stationary cockpit?

 

Finally, are you using a separate tactile feedback system with your motion platform and (if any) what software is driving them?

 

This is what I'm looking at, but just the platform version itself.

It's compatible with DCS, FSX and all my racing sims ...

Edited September 6, 2016 by MacThai_75

[DBO]

VR + a motion platform would be very immersive. I haven't seen anyone flying a setup like that yet. Have you contacted them about price and build? Doesn't seem to be overly expensive (i.e. website seems to indicate around AUD$4K for just the platform) but not sure what else would be needed to get it to work.

[DerekSpeare]

Our good friend Richard in NZ has a full on motion/VR setup for racing and flying:

 

Edited September 6, 2016 by DerekSpeare

[Brewnix]

This looks cool. http://www.eleetus.com/home Has pitch, roll and yaw.

[DBO]

Our good friend Richard in NZ has a full on motion/VR setup for racing and flying:

 

 

Dang, that's an impressive setup! I bet he spent a bit more than 4 or 5 grand on that however ;)

[hansangb]

Our good friend Richard in NZ has a full on motion/VR setup for racing and flying:

 

 

 

HOLY CRAP. Awesome...

[MostlyHarmless]

Recently I stumbled across Michal Hrabovcak's platform https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6dtUjBhBX8 mounting the camera to the seat base makes sense to prevent unexpected head motion from being detected as the platform moves your body around. The setup is quite nice and more of the diy method that I'm looking for. My perfect setup would be a slightly upscaled base able to handle my weight along with the weight of a Bergison G-Seat.

The G-Seat's ability to simulate positive and negative g forces combined with the greater ability to simulate rapid side loading and slips though a motion base would be about as perfect as we could realistically hope for.

 

While I've not had the chance to experience VR on a full motion base or with a g-seat yet, it might be possible to get most of the appropriate sensations just through the g-seat and not require a motion base. After attending a course at the FAA aeromedical facility last year I was really impressed at how quickly and easily our inner ear can be tricked and become accustomed to prolonged motions. Extended periods of a motion can be normalized fairly quickly so that you loose the sensation of movement. My fear of just a motion platform is that while sudden forces would be simulated very well, longer term forces, especially negative g loading would be difficult to maintain due to the limited amount of travel available in the base. The Bergison G-Seat would help counter a good bit of this with the seat belt tension changes for longer duration negative g loads.

[MacThai_75]

VR + a motion platform would be very immersive. I haven't seen anyone flying a setup like that yet. Have you contacted them about price and build? Doesn't seem to be overly expensive (i.e. website seems to indicate around AUD$4K for just the platform) but not sure what else would be needed to get it to work.

 

Supposedly plug and play USB with it's own drivers included.

 

Here's some more info on it with a list of compatible sims ...

http://www.nextlevelracing.com/products/next-level-racing-motion-platform-v2/

 

I thought I saw it @ about $2400 USD, but can't find the price, nor any place in stock.

So I wrote them and this is what they said ...

 

 

Thank you for your e-mail.

At the moment we are low on stock however stock is coming very soon.

I think that frys might have a motion platform however you will have to call them.

http://frys.com/product/8534609;jsessionid=hmb8M1JIx1Q21BRXLxYybg__.node3?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG ​​​​​​​

If you have any further queries we are happy to assist you.

 

Kind Regards,

Brendan

 

So I'll give Frys a call to see what the deal is. :)

 

As you can see from theProducts page on their site here http://www.nextlevelracing.com/products/ they sell it in a few different configurations.

 

My open frame cockpit is an OpenWheeler that I modified to be a dual purpose CP for both racing and flight, so I just need the platform.

See: https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2866602&postcount=9

[DBO]

So I'll give Frys a call to see what the deal is. :)

 

Failing that, you're just going to have to build yourself one of these :D

[MacThai_75]

Recently I stumbled across Michal Hrabovcak's platform https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6dtUjBhBX8

 

I has seen that set-up a while ago and I think it could very well be all you need with an HMD.

I'd love to hear from people using it that way, especially if it helps with motion sickness from just using an HMD.

My wife likes to use my setup but gets queasy really quick.

 

I'm hoping motion will help with that, but because there are other things at play, I'm not betting on it, nor making it a prerequisite to whatever I end up with.

 

Maybe an email, or YouTube question to Bergison regarding VR is in order ... and it appears that it could always be added to a motion seat platform for the best both worlds. :)

Edited September 6, 2016 by MacThai_75

[MacThai_75]

Failing that, you're just going to have to build yourself one of these :D

 

LOL!

 

One of the advantages to my dual purpose CP is that I can take it apart with no tools, and each section can be easily wheeled away for storage.

 

I'd really like to keep it that way ... or I'll have to also buy a lot of "apology jewelry" as a peace tribute to my better half. ;)

[DBO]

Damn I really shouldn't have started reading about this. Seems like there's some interesting low cost platforms in development.

 

This was a kickstarter and seems close to production

http://fasetech.com/rc3-3dof/

 

This looks cool as well - neat idea about the half shell.

http://www.feelthree.com/

[MacThai_75]

Here's another inexpensive possibility http://dynkit.com/en

 

Also I got the price of the Next Level platform mixed with the one offered as the base for the SimExperience unit here http://simxperience.com/en-us/products/motionsimulatorkits/stage1motionsimulatorkit.aspx which (unfortunately) I don't think is compatible with DCS.

[Fab]

I think the G-seat would be best chooise, however, as it is now, non of the "motionsplayforms" can br used in MP sessions....

[adrianstealth]

Yes I'm using cv1 with motion

It's brill

 

I have chair rocker + overall platform pitch (chair on top of this )

+ rear traction (racing) used slightly for yaw

 

Fix track cam off rig , movements on rig are slight yet can be quick

It all gives one hell of an amazing experience

 

Ps is noticeable on dive cockpit bit closer and on climb cockpit further away but it all only adds to the effect

[SkateZilla]

The issue w/ Full Motion Platform and Oculus right now is that Oculus only uses the Camera for Positional Tracking, the Rotational tracking uses the other sensors, which will react to the motion from the platform.

[Knock-Knock]

Havent tried it with flying, but had a go in iRacing with a SimXperience Stage 4 (with the rear traction bar) motion platform, and the DK2 some years back. Despite not really being able to see where I was going as much, it gave me a completely different level, of actually feeling what the car was doing 'under me'. I picked up small nuances much sooner, that I would with just one, or none of the elements - Rift and Motion platform.

At that point I was very active with the Lotus 79, so I was tuned in. Using my own car setup, I became even more in touch with the car. I was quite blown away, by how good a VR+Motion setup was, in terms of sensing the car.

 

If the same would apply to flying, no idea.

[MacThai_75]

Yes I'm using cv1 with motion

It's brill

 

I have chair rocker + overall platform pitch (chair on top of this )

+ rear traction (racing) used slightly for yaw

 

Fix track cam off rig , movements on rig are slight yet can be quick

It all gives one hell of an amazing experience

 

Ps is noticeable on dive cockpit bit closer and on climb cockpit further away but it all only adds to the effect

 

That is what I was thinking may be the effect ... dives and braking moving you closer to the sensor/camera, and climbs/acceleration moving you farther away.

 

Glad to see you prefer the sensor/camera mounted off rig and feel it's a benefit, dispelling my initial concern, because that would keep it easier to install with a 'seat motion' setup' as opposed to seat mounting it out on a long enough stalk or having to use an entire 'cockpit motion' setup.

 

As I look into this more there seems to be two camps.

One that feels a seat motion set-up has better defined nuances (like those that Knock-Knock mentioned above) than a full cockpit motion setup, and one that prefers the entire CP to move to feel them all "properly" (but I'm not totally clear on exactly what that means). :dunno:

But those are not necessarily, nor possibly even significantly influenced when also using VR, so .....

 

One thing important for anyone looking to add this to an open frame cockpit is to be sure that the hardware you buy is compatible with the programs you want to run.

Most list the major flight sims (including DCS) but some like the SimExperience do not.

 

So far either the $800 home, or $1350 heavy duty kits here look the best ... http://dynkit.com/en

Especially after you look at their compatibility list here ... http://dynkit.com/en/games

 

I think I'll do some more looking, but am pretty near ordering the $1350 heavy duty kit to move my big old derriere about in a simulated way. ;)

So far it's appears to be a clear winner! :cheer3nc:

 

P.S. Here's a YouTube of the full Dynkit cockpit that a guy did a cool looking job of installation with:

Edited September 6, 2016 by MacThai_75

[MacThai_75]

I should add that WRT: SimXperience, the answer I received from them regarding their SimVibe software is that it's not compatible with DCS .... yet.

 

However they list it for sale separately from SimCommander, for tactile transducer control (like ButtKickers etc.) but it's apparently the same SimCommander software that they package with their motion systems/kits, based on the exact same list of compatibility with sim programs/games, and more telling ... their instructions to select "non-motion seat" when setting up SimVibe for just transducers.

 

So if their controller for their motion kits is not closed, it may be possible to simply use other freeware (as do some other motion kit suppliers) to operate the different level of SimExperience motion kits and/or their full Cockpits.

 

For me the ideal set up would be with a motion kit that's obviously DCS compatible, and SimExperiance's SimVibe software driving my transducers ... once it's available for DCS.

IMHO it's the absolute best for both using individual sources and/or blending of the sources that you might want to use for transducer actuation, for up to 8 transducers.

 

Anyway here's what they said when I asked about SimVibe and the Oculus version of Project cars, and DCS compatibility ...

 

 

SimVibe definitely works with the desktop version of Project Cars and I believe it will with the Oculus Home version if you launch PCars first and then launch the PCars profile in Sim Commander.

 

We have not built a plug in for DCS yet but are considering it.

 

Sincerely,

Darin Gangi

Customer Service Department

SimXperience

 

I'm sending them an email today to see if I can use their level one motion kit with DCS compatible freeware, and still use the transducer portion of their SimVibe with my transducers.

I'll report back with what I find .....

Edited September 6, 2016 by MacThai_75

[MacThai_75]

The issue w/ Full Motion Platform and Oculus right now is that Oculus only uses the Camera for Positional Tracking, the Rotational tracking uses the other sensors, which will react to the motion from the platform.

 

Can you explain this a bit more?

I understand the desire to keep the HMD sensor in "normal" sync with the HMD, which would seem to indicate that the sensor/camera should be mounted to the moving platform/seat, but you are losing me with the rotational tracking" comment.

 

If the sensor/camera is mounted to the moving platform how would it be any different than placing an entire stationary cockpit on a moving vehicle or even ... well ... on a spinning earth for that matter?

It really should not see the movement of the platform at all.

 

I do see that it might very well cause some annoying effects though.

I'll have to see what happens when I have somebody jostle my seat about a bit while I'm wearing my HMD, to attempt to mimic bumps or fast maneuvers and etc.

I'm not sure if it would add or detract to the realism, or may not be consistent in that regard depending on how intense a bump/maneuver is or is not.

 

Need more people that have tried it with VR.

I'm off to cruise the racing sim forums ... :)

[MacThai_75]

Well this answers where the sensor for the CV1 needs to be mounted ... and how being jostled about effects what's seen in the HMD.

 

Edited September 6, 2016 by MacThai_75

[Hawkeye60]

Saw this,

 

 

http://www.d-box.com

[MostlyHarmless]

The issue w/ Full Motion Platform and Oculus right now is that Oculus only uses the Camera for Positional Tracking, the Rotational tracking uses the other sensors, which will react to the motion from the platform.

 

Thanks for clearing up what each is used for, I had been wondering about that. After using trackIR for so long I had just assumed that the camera did everything and hadn't thought too much on what the accelerometers were being used for.

 

This would make using a G-Seat more of benefit over using a motion platform to minimize the effect of unintended accelerometer signals caused by platform movement.

[MacThai_75]

Thanks for clearing up what each is used for, I had been wondering about that. After using trackIR for so long I had just assumed that the camera did everything and hadn't thought too much on what the accelerometers were being used for.

 

This would make using a G-Seat more of benefit over using a motion platform to minimize the effect of unintended accelerometer signals caused by platform movement.

 

See post #21 above.

[SkateZilla]

Some Applications can disable the Internal Sensors, Gyros, IMUs etc and only use the camera and IR Tracking.