Motion simulator


A motion simulator or motion platform is a mechanism that creates the feelings of being in a real motion environment. In a simulator, the movement is synchronised with a visual display of the outside world scene. Motion platforms can provide movement in all of the six degrees of freedom that can be experienced by an object that is free to move, such as an aircraft or spacecraft:. These are the three rotational degrees of freedom and three translational or linear degrees of freedom.

Types

Motion simulators can be classified according to whether the occupant is controlling the vehicle, or whether the occupant is a passive rider, such as in a simulator ride or motion theater.
Image:Simulator-flight-compartment.jpeg|thumb|right|400px|A hexapod motion platform used in another flight simulator
Motion platforms for aircraft simulators are at the high end, plus some of the more expensive amusement park rides that use a simulator-type motion base; arcade amusement devices are in the middle, and motion platforms for home use are low-cost but not as capable of the higher-level devices.
Many motion platforms are used in flight simulators used to train pilots.

History of motion platforms

One of the first motion platforms, the Sanders Teacher, was created in 1910. This was a model aircraft connected to the ground by a universal joint. When wind was present, the pilot in training was able to use the aircraft's control surfaces to move the model in the three rotational degrees of freedom pitch, roll and yaw.
In 1929 a significant advance in motion platform technology was made with the patent by Edwin Link for what became known as the "Link Trainer". This used the pilot's control stick and rudder controls to control organ-type bellows under the simulator cockpit. The bellows could inflate or deflate, giving movement in pitch, roll, and yaw.
In 1958 a flight simulator for the Comet 4 aircraft used a three-degrees-of-freedom hydraulic system.
Simulator motion platforms today use 6 jacks giving all six degrees-of-freedom, the three rotations pitch, roll and yaw, plus the three translational movements heave, sway and surge.
6 Dof motions are powerful cues when combined with outside-world imagery. Motion platforms together with OTW imagery are used in : flight simulation, driving simulation, amusement rides, and small home-based simulators.
The motion platform is used in military and commercial flight instruction training applications. Also in entertainment devices in theme parks, with users from single people to many, seated in rows in front of screens in which pictures are projected, synchronised with motions from the platform under the simulator cab.
Image:3DOF motion simulator.png|thumb|right|350px|Low-cost home motion system with 3 rotational degrees of freedom
A typical high-end motion system is the Stewart platform, which provides full 6 degrees of freedom and employs sophisticated algorithms to provide high-fidelity motions and accelerations. These are used in a number of applications, including flight simulators for training pilots.
The middle of the spectrum includes motion platforms in arcade amusement games, rides, and other arrangements. These systems fall into a price range from $10,000 to US$99,000. Typically the space requirements for such a platform are modest requiring only a portion of an arcade room and a smaller range of motion is provided via similar, less expensive, control systems than the high-end platforms.
In the 1980s, it became a trend for arcade video games to use hydraulic motion simulator arcade cabinets. The trend was sparked by Sega's "taikan" games, with "taikan" meaning "body sensation" in Japanese. Sega's first game to use a motion simulator cabinet was Space Tactics, a space combat simulator that had a cockpit cabinet where the screen moved in sync with the on-screen action. The "taikan" trend later began when Yu Suzuki's team at Sega developed Hang-On, a racing video game where the player sits on and moves a motorbike replica to control the in-game actions. Suzuki's team at Sega followed it with hydraulic motion simulator cockpit cabinets for rail shooters such as Space Harrier, racing games such as Out Run, and arcade combat flight simulators such as After Burner and G-LOC: Air Battle. One of the most sophisticated motion simulator cabinets in arcades was Sega's R360, which simulated the full 360-degree rotation of an aircraft. Sega have since continued to manufacture motion simulator cabinets for arcade games through to the 2010s.
The lower-cost systems include home-based motion platforms, which have recently become a more common device used to enhance video games, simulation, and virtual reality. These systems fall into a price range from $1,000 to US$9,000. Within the 2000s, several individuals and business entities have developed these smaller, more affordable motion systems. Most of these systems were developed mainly by flight simulation enthusiasts, were sold as do it yourself projects, and could be assembled in the home from common components for around one thousand US dollars. Recently, there has been increased market interest in motion platforms for more personal, in-home, use. The application of these motion systems extends beyond just flight training simulation into a larger market of more generalized "craft-oriented" simulation, entertainment, and virtual reality systems.

Common uses

Engineering analysis

Motion platforms are commonly used in the field of engineering for analysis and verification of vehicle performance and design. The ability to link a computer-based dynamic model of a particular system to physical motion gives the user the ability to feel how the vehicle would respond to control inputs without the need to construct expensive prototypes. For example, an engineer designing an external fuel tank for an aircraft could have a pilot determine the effect on flying qualities or a mechanical engineer could feel the effects of a new brake system without building any hardware, saving time and money.
Flight simulators are also used by aircraft manufacturers to test new hardware. By connecting a simulated cockpit with visual screen to a real flight control system in a laboratory, integrating the pilot with the electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic components that exist on the real aircraft, a complete system evaluation can be conducted prior to initial flight testing. This type of testing allows the simulation of "seeded faults" which serve to validate that an aircraft's redundant design features work as intended. A test pilot can also help identify system deficiencies such as inadequate or missing warning indicators, or even unintended control stick motion. This testing is necessary to simulate extremely high risk events that cannot be conducted in flight but nonetheless must be demonstrated. While 6 degree-of-freedom motion is not necessary for this type of testing, the visual screen allows the pilot to "fly" the aircraft while the faults are simultaneously triggered.

Ride simulators

Motion simulators are sometimes used in theme parks or amusement parks to give the park guests a simulation of flight or other motion.
Some examples:
  • Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, located at Disneyland and other Disney theme parks, use purpose-modified military flight simulators known as Advanced Technology Leisure Application Simulators to simulate a flight through outer space.
  • Body Wars was an attraction in the Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot that used the same technology as Star Tours to simulate a ride through the human body.
  • Wild Arctic at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego.
  • Soarin' Over California, located in Disney California Adventure, uses an IMAX dome screen and a hang glider simulation to provide a simulated flight over many of California's scenic places.
  • Nemo & Friends SeaRider is a simulator ride at Tokyo DisneySea.
  • Star Trek: The Experience was located at the Las Vegas Hilton between 1998 and 2008. Its "Klingon Encounter" culminated with a state of the art, 6 degrees-of-freedom flight simulator ride including associated space battle movie footage.
  • Back to the Future: The Ride, a simulator ride based on the Back to the Future film series, was located at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. The ride used DeLorean-based simulator cars that faced a 70-foot-tall IMAX dome screen. In 2008, it was replaced at the Florida and Hollywood parks by another simulator ride, The Simpsons Ride.
  • The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was one of the original attractions at Universal Studios Florida. The ride used rocket-based simulator cars and a theater-sized screen.
  • Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast was located at the Universal Studios Florida theme park where The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera had been located. The ride used rocket-based simulator cars and a theater-sized screen.
  • The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., houses a gallery full of two-seat interactive flight simulators doing 360-degree barrel rolls in air combat.
  • Europe in the Air, a simulator ride located in Busch Gardens Williamsburg, uses a motion platform, high-definition footage, and wind effects to simulate flight over Europe's notable icons.
  • and Airbus Helicopters cooperate and qualify under EASA regulations the world’s first H125 Virtual Reality Flight Training Device Level 3