CN109154867B

CN109154867B - Combined translation and rotation motion simulator

Info

Publication number: CN109154867B
Application number: CN201780030769.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 尼古拉斯·G·苏特尔
Original assignee: Ni GulasiGSuteer
Current assignee: Ni GulasiGSuteer
Priority date: 2016-03-30
Filing date: 2017-03-30
Publication date: 2022-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2037-03-30
Also published as: EP3436913B1; CN109154867A; EP3436913A4; EP3436913A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a universal translational and rotational motion simulator, comprising: a first device for panning a user in a first linear direction; a second device for translating the user in a second linear direction; a third device for translating the user in a third linear direction; a fourth device disposed on the third device for supporting the user through the first, second, and third linear translations; a gimbal assembly disposed on the fourth device and including a position tracking sensor and/or a reference device for tracking a position of a head of the user; the virtual reality device is used for creating a virtual reality scene in the mind of the user; a sound system for generating hearing in the user's mind; a microelectronic device; and a programmable controller, the simulator operable to cause a user to simultaneously translate forward and backward in the first, second and third linear directions and the first, second and third rotational directions.

Description

Combined translation and rotation motion simulator

In relation to other applications and patents

This application claims priority to pending U.S. provisional patent application serial No.62/315,111 filed on 30/3/2016.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to virtual reality; more particularly, the present disclosure relates to an integrated system for generating and combining realistic translational and rotational motion of a simulator user and a virtual scene perceived by the simulator user.

Background

The prior art related to moving people's equipment, including roller coasters and other amusement rides, performs acceleration and speed in a particular direction under a particular gravitational force to create an exciting and cheering sensation within the user's body. Other people moving tools, such as elevators, have the sole purpose of transporting people vertically from one location to another. Motion simulators for training may also be moved by a person to prepare for dangerous real-world tasks.

Some of these systems utilize linear propulsion or linear lift systems to generate such acceleration. These linear motion systems may incorporate a variety of devices including, but not limited to, rotary motors with pulleys and cables, hydraulic motors, linear induction motors, linear synchronous motors, or any other suitable linear actuator.

The entertainment industry has a greatly increased interest in recent advances in Virtual Reality (VR) technology. A number of motion systems have been developed to respond to this new wave of interest. Most of these real-world motion systems are small and typically utilize hydraulic motors and/or cylinders to induce a sense of motion by producing small accelerations.

It is a relatively new idea to use VR for riders of real roller coasters. Six Flags have implemented their VR roller coaster experience at multiple parks, with riders wearing VR helmets while riding. Additional VR experiences will now or shortly thereafter be available in amusement parks around the world.

It would always be an interesting and valuable industry to be able to provide new experiences for people to enjoy and share. Virtual reality helmets have been able to provide a so-called "sense of presence," i.e., a perception of physical presence in the non-physical world. A problem with today's virtual reality is that it is very difficult to develop an experience that involves the user's movements. Most VR content currently being developed includes a sitting or standing experience or walking in only a limited space. As VR technology has improved significantly, motion simulators need to catch up in order to maintain the user's sense of presence during motion. Conventional motion simulators lack the fidelity required by the user to maintain a sense of presence, and the disconnection between virtual and real motion confounds the body's vestibular system, resulting in nausea. The closer the motion simulator matches the real acceleration to the virtual acceleration (kept within biological tolerances), the more satisfactory the experience. While a conventional wooden or steel roller coaster may be useful and advantageous for certain applications, it has several disadvantages. A conventional roller coaster can be defined as an amusement park attraction consisting of a fixed track with many sharp bends and steep slopes on which people ride in small fast vehicles.

One disadvantage is that the ride is static in its mechanical configuration. In other words, the path of such a conventional roller coaster is constant because it requires deconstruction of parts that are extremely difficult to manufacture. In addition, the path of the ride does not have a location on the path where the rider can experience different accelerations in the two rides. This, of course, ignores the effects of weather and friction between different rides due to differences in weight of the passenger car.

Another disadvantage is that the design process requires a lot of planning. A roller coaster design may take as long as 1500 hours, plus 2 to 6 weeks to install and test it, before it is made available to the public.

Another disadvantage is that the manufacturing technique is very time consuming and expensive. In the process of manufacturing a roller coaster, a straight steel sheet is heated and then permanently formed into a desired shape. The manufactured rail shape needs to be accurate to within a tenth of a millimeter of its design shape and this process can lead to significant metal fatigue.

In order to change the perceived ride experienced by the user, it has been proposed to combine and map virtual motor journeys provided via individual VR helmets worn by the system user with actual physical journeys on a conventional roller coaster. While such systems can minimize capital expenditures by taking advantage of existing physical roller coasters, a disadvantage is that the configuration of the ride is fixed and limited to the three-dimensional configuration of the roller coaster track itself.

It has been proposed to use a motion simulator instead of a conventional roller coaster. However, conventional motion simulators currently used for combat and space transport or for other difficult tasks that cannot be safely reused in the real world lack the required real-world fidelity, limiting their use to only a small number of experiences.

In the prior art, the NASA Ames research center located in Moffett Field, california includes a Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) in which the motion base has six degrees of freedom, meaning that the cockpit with the pilot inside can be driven on six routes where the aircraft or space capsule can move. This includes three translational degrees of freedom (vertical, lateral and longitudinal) and three rotational degrees of freedom (pitch, roll and yaw). Providing a vertical degree of freedom is a vertical structure that includes a platform that spans the height of 70 feet of the building and supports mechanisms for the remaining degrees of freedom. Supporting the platform are two columns that extend into the 75 foot deep shaft. Guides at both ends and on one side of the platform keep it aligned. A 70 tonne heavy platform and its load can be moved quickly by a balancer that pressurizes both support columns with nitrogen, thus offsetting the huge load. An 8 horsepower 150 motor drives the column, accelerating the platform vertically up to 22 feet/second, or nearly 3 g/4. Providing lateral motion is a lateral carriage that can translate 40 feet and be driven by 4 motors of 40 horsepower. The longitudinal motion is provided by a longitudinal carriage having a range of 8 feet, which is driven by a telescopic hydraulic actuator.

The three rotational degrees of freedom are hydraulically driven, similar to the longitudinal carriage. The rotating center post provides yaw motion and the pitch and roll hydraulic actuators provide pitch and roll motion.

The two suspension chains attached to the transversal carriers protect a number of electrical, electronic and hydraulic lines connecting the moving cab to the rest of the simulator. Hinges in the catenary provide the catenary with flexibility, allowing the catenary to move as the cab moves.

The off-window (OTW) graphics provide computer-generated images that simulate the outside world for the pilot. The Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) holds two image generators, one with five channels and one with six channels. Each channel corresponds to an image displayed in a single window. The image generator can have an independent viewpoint; in other words, the image generators may display the scene in different locations simultaneously. This enables the pilot and co-pilot to accurately view the scene from slightly different locations.

One disadvantage of this system is that each rotational degree of freedom is only partial, unlike a true gimbal/gimbal system where each gimbal can rotate 360 ° about its own axis.

U.S. patent No.5509631 to desarvo at 23/4/1996, U.S. patent No.5558582 to Swensen at 24/9/1996, U.S. patent No.6007338 to dinnzio at 28/12/1999, U.S. patent No.8968109 to Stoker at 3/2015, and U.S. patent No.9,011,259 to Schmidt at 21/4/2015 all disclose elements similar to those of the present invention, but they do not anticipate the present invention, and together they do not make the present invention obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

There is a need in the art for an improved real world or physical motion system for simulating the actual path of any physically moving object in three-dimensional space at full size and high fidelity, operable to describe the actual path without the use of fixed-in-space trajectories, and programmable to provide any desired physical path through three-dimensional space at any speed and variable thereof.

There is also a need for such a system wherein a user may experience any physical orientation in such three-dimensional space while traveling on such a physical path, and wherein the physical path may be continuous or discontinuous.

There is also a need for a system in which a user is equipped with a virtual reality device in which the virtual path viewed by the user is synchronized with the user's physical path to create a perception of a desired travel experience within the user's body.

It is an object of the present invention to create a realistic sensation of virtual travel in the user's mind through a three-dimensional scene.

It is yet another object of the present invention to significantly improve the quality of experience over any other similar purpose system by providing accurate acceleration with high fidelity to move the user along a physical path corresponding to a virtual travel path.

Disclosure of Invention

Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the path of realistic motion is fully dynamic. In this regard, the realistic motion path can be changed in an infinite number of ways at any time, in any dimension, purely by changing the enabling software and motion control. This dynamic degree of freedom is possible due to the arrangement of the linear motor and the rotary motor.

In one embodiment, each degree of freedom in the device is precisely controlled and programmed to replicate the components of the actual motion of a large real-world experience, including but not limited to: riding a roller coaster; travel on land, sea, air or space; and extreme motion experience, all of which preferably have a 1: 1 and has high fidelity. Furthermore, new or imagined events that have never been experienced and that may not actually be experienced in the real world, for example, landing from space on a water star or attacking the mid century castle, may be simulated.

In another embodiment, the experience may be random or interactive, with the user selecting the experience result or manipulating the virtual environment.

In another embodiment, the system may operate like a traditional movie theater, where multiple people share a common real-world ride but experience separate virtual reality rides. Furthermore, in movie theaters, people repeatedly come back to enjoy new experiences as they come.

The universal translational and rotational motion simulator according to the invention comprises: a first device operable to pan a user in a first linear direction; a second device disposed on the first device and operable to translate the user in a second linear direction perpendicular to the first linear direction; a third device disposed on the second device operable to translate the user in a third linear direction perpendicular to the first and second linear directions; a fourth device disposed on the third device operable to support a user through/by the first, second and third linear translations, and defining, along with the first, second and third devices, a programmable linear motion assembly. The first, second and third devices may be independently directed along their respective orthogonal axes in speed, acceleration and direction. Preferably, deceleration in any one of the three directions is assisted by regenerative braking.

The universal translational and rotational motion simulator according to the invention further comprises: a first electric universal joint provided on the fourth apparatus and having a first rotation axis about which the first electric universal joint is rotatable forward or backward in a first rotation direction; a second electric universal joint provided on the first electric universal joint and having a second rotation axis intersecting the first rotation axis, the second electric universal joint being rotatable forward or backward about the second rotation axis in a second rotation direction; and a third electric universal joint provided on the second universal joint and having a third rotation axis intersecting the first and second rotation axes, the third electric universal joint being rotatable forward or backward about the third rotation axis in a third rotation direction. The first, second and third gimbals collectively define a gimbal assembly disposed on the fourth device.

Optionally, a plurality of such gimbal assemblies may be arranged on a fourth device to allow the same number of mixed reality journeys to be enjoyed by multiple users simultaneously.

Optionally, a fourth electric gimbal may be included in the gimbal assembly to prevent "gimbal lock-up" as is well known in the gimbal art. Gimbal lock is the lack of one degree of freedom when the rotational axes of the two gimbals of a tri-gimbal assembly are driven into a parallel configuration. In this configuration, there is no universal joint capable of accommodating rotation along one axis. When the rotational axes of the two gimbals are aligned, the gimbal assembly experiences discontinuous motion (gimbal lock-up). The provision of the fourth joint makes it possible to avoid dead locking of the joints by intelligently controlling it, so that at most only two joint axes of rotation are aligned. When all four gimbals are aligned on two axes of rotation (the two sets of gimbals are parallel), the four-gimbal assembly still experiences gimbal lock-up. This configuration ignores one axis of rotation. As long as no more than two joint axes of rotation are parallel, the joint assembly does not lock up and continuous motion is always possible. In the case of a four gimbal assembly, the entire simulator system would have seven degrees of freedom instead of six.

The first, second and third gimbals may be independently guided about their respective axes of rotation in speed, acceleration and direction. Preferably, the rotational deceleration of any one of the three universal joints is assisted by regenerative braking.

Still further, at least one user seat is provided within the third gimbal for occupation by a user, and at least one position tracking sensor and/or reference device is provided within the third gimbal operable to track the position of the head and/or other limbs of the user.

Still further, a fifth apparatus comprising a virtual reality device is disposed within the third gimbal, the fifth apparatus wearable by the user and operable to create a virtual reality scene within the mind of the user.

A sixth device disposed within the third gimbal and wearable by the user is operable to generate hearing in the mind of the user.

Still further, a seventh device disposed within the third gimbal and including microelectronics is operable to provide graphics processing capability to the fifth device and audible amplification to the sixth device, and the seventh device, along with the at least one position tracking sensor and the fifth and sixth devices, defines a virtual motion assembly.

One or more programmable controllers are operatively connected to the first device, the second device, the third device, the first electric gimbal, the second electric gimbal, the third electric gimbal, the optional fourth electric gimbal, the fifth device, and the seventh device; wherein the simulator is operable to cause the user to simultaneously pan forward or backward in the first, second and third linear directions and the first, second and third rotational directions and to provide virtual visual and audio stimuli in synchronization with the generated motion.

Drawings

The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like or similar reference characters are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views. The features described herein may be better understood with reference to the drawings described below, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing three linear Cartesian axes for designing and implementing a simulator in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a three-dimensional space in which a simulator in accordance with the present invention can translate a user along any of an infinite number of exemplary paths;

FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view of a translating portion of the simulator in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevational view of the translation device shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the addition of a counterweight attached to the platform portion of the translation device and passing through an opening in the center thereof;

FIG. 5 is a schematic elevational view showing the addition of a plurality of gimbal/gimbal assemblies to the simulator shown in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic elevational view showing a first embodiment of a single 3-ring gimbal assembly configured for two seated users wearing virtual reality helmets;

FIG. 7 is a schematic elevational view showing the gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 6 in motion about three intersecting rotational axes;

FIG. 8 is a schematic elevational view showing a first embodiment of a single 4-ring gimbal assembly;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view showing a second embodiment of a single 3-ring gimbal assembly configured for two seated users wearing virtual reality helmets;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a single 4-ring gimbal assembly showing a wheeled chassis for driving and removing the gimbal assembly to and from a simulator;

FIG. 11 is a detailed isometric view showing multiple wheeled embodiments of a 3-ring gimbal assembly secured to a platform of a simulator by clamps;

figure 12 is an isometric view showing a step in the operation of the simulator according to the present invention, showing the simultaneous loading and unloading of the wheel gimbal assemblies to and from the platform of the simulator via the unloading and loading ramps.

FIG. 13 is a master control scheme for operating a universal pan and rotate simulator in accordance with the present invention and for integrating physical movements of one or more simulator users with a virtual reality scene experienced in the simulator user's mind;

FIG. 14 is a sub-control scheme coordinated with the main control scheme shown in FIG. 13 to control the linear components of the simulator;

FIG. 15 is a sub-control scheme coordinated with the main control scheme shown in FIG. 13 to control the alpha and beta components of the simulator; and

FIG. 16 is a sub-control scheme coordinated with the main control scheme shown in FIG. 13 to control the gamma and eta components of the simulator.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1-16, a universal translational and rotational motion simulator in accordance with the present invention is operable to create a virtual reality experience in the user's mind that is synchronized with the real motion experience of the user's body. The real motion part of the invention comprises 1: 1 high fidelity reality sports. Such a 1: 1-reality motion is defined as physically the same as the apparent translation and acceleration inherent in the virtual motion scene presented to the user.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, three orthogonal linear axes X, Y and Z are shown in real space 1. Point P may translate directly along the Z-axis, the entire Z-axis may translate directly along the Y-axis, and the entire Y-axis may translate directly along the X-axis. It can be seen that by combining simultaneous motion along all three translational axes, point P can be moved through real space along any one of an infinite number of continuous or discontinuous paths. An exemplary path 2 is shown in fig. 2.

Referring now to fig. 3, an exemplary electromechanical system 10 is shown for moving a device along any one of the infinite number of paths 2 in real space 1 just described. The translational motive force used in the presently preferred examples is provided by one or more Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs) and/or Linear Induction Motors (LIMs), but the present invention fully encompasses the use of other power devices, including but not limited to rotary motors with pulleys and cables, as well as hydraulic motors and pistons.

Note that: with respect to linear motors, there are two different ways to arrange the components. For example, the stator (primary) may be a stationary member or a moving member.

The fixed stator arrangement (primary part) is referred to in the art as a "long stator" design (and connected to the power transmission network) because the track in this case comprises a stator and is longer than the vehicle (moving part).

The moving stator arrangement is referred to in the art as a "short stator" design (located on a vehicle with an onboard power supply), and the track includes a rotor.

The present invention may employ any of the above types of stator arrangements or may use a combination of LIMs and LSMs, as one may be less expensive and the other may be lighter and more efficient.

The system 10 includes a first horizontally operable structure 12 (first machine) having, for example, three

first LSMs

14, 16, 18 operable in parallel to move the upper machine in the Y-axis direction shown in fig. 1 and 2, and, for example, two

guide rails

20, 22. Each

first LSM

14, 16, 18 includes a linear primary piece 24 and at least one secondary piece 26. The guided vehicles are operable on

rails

20 and 22. A first power distribution device 28 provides power to each first LSM and transmits the power to the rest of the simulator system via a cable chain 30 in a known manner.

The system 10 also includes a second horizontally operable structure 32 (second apparatus) having, for example, three second LSM/

LIMs

34, 36, 37 operable in parallel to move the upper apparatus along the X-axis direction, as shown in fig. 1 and 2. Optionally, a guide rail (not shown) may be included in the horizontal structure 32. Each second LSM includes at least one primary part and at least one secondary part. The secondary member extends longitudinally and moves synchronously along the primary member. The second power distribution device 38 receives power from the first power distribution device 28 and provides power to each of the second LSMs and transmits power to the remaining simulator systems via a cable chain in a known manner.

The system 10 also includes a third vertically operable rectangular structure 40 (third device) preferably having at least four, but theoretically may have only one LSM/

LIM

42, 44, 46, 48 disposed at the four corners of the structure 40 and operable in parallel along the Z-axis direction shown in fig. 1 and 2. Each third LSM/LIM includes at least one primary part and at least one secondary part. The secondary member moves synchronously along the primary member. The third power distribution device 49 receives power from the second power distribution device 38 and provides power to each vertically operable LSM and transmits power to the remaining simulator systems via a cable chain in a known manner. The fourth power distribution device 50 receives power from the third power distribution device 49 and provides power to a gimbal/gimbal array (gimbal) and VR device described below.

The LSM/

LIMs

42, 44, 46, 48 support a platform 52 (fourth apparatus) for vertical movement within the third structure 40. It can now be seen that the structure described so far is capable of moving the platform 52 to any desired position within the real space 1 (fig. 2).

Referring now to fig. 4,

structures

12, 32 and 40 define a first electromechanical subsystem 41 for linear motion of point P along three orthogonal translational axes in three-dimensional space. In a presently preferred embodiment, an optional counterweight 54 suspended from a pulley at the top of the structure 40 via a cable passes through an opening 53 at the center of the platform 52, the cable being connected at its free end to the platform 52. The counterweight 54 offsets the weight of the platform 52 and the load on the platform, which reduces the response time and energy required for vertical movement of the platform 52. Optionally, additional LSM/

LIMs

56, 58 may be provided through the opening 53, which may operate in parallel with the LSM/

LIMs

42, 44, 46, 48 to increase the vertical motive force of the simulator.

Referring now to fig. 5-7, a presently preferred embodiment of the universal translational and rotational motion simulator 100 includes at least one gimbal assembly 60 mounted on a platform 52. Preferably, a plurality of gimbal assemblies 60 are mounted on first and second supports 62 on platform 52 to simultaneously accommodate a plurality of

system users

64a, 64b as described above.

The gimbal assembly 60 includes a first gimbal 66 (fifth structure) mounted on the carriage 62 for controlled electrical rotation about a first axis of rotation 68 (motor not shown). A second gimbal 70 (sixth structure) is mounted within the first gimbal 66 for controlled electrical rotation about an orthogonal second axis of rotation 72 (motor not shown). A third gimbal 74 (seventh structure) is mounted within the second gimbal 70 for controlled electrical rotation about a third axis of rotation 76 (motor not shown). Preferably, but not necessarily, the first, second and third axes of

rotation

68, 72, 76 intersect at a common point in space (not shown).

At least one

user seat

78a, 78b is mounted within the third gimbal 74 for positioning a

system user

64a, 64b on the third axis 76. Each

user seat

78a, 78b corresponds to point P shown in fig. 1 and 2. Gimbal assembly 60 defines a second electro-mechanical subsystem 80 for rotating point P about three orthogonal axes of rotation in space.

In summary, first subsystem 41 and second subsystem 80 define a novel six-dimensional universal translational and rotational motion simulator for realistic motion of a system user, where the user may experience translation independently along any of three orthogonal translation axes X, Y and Z, as well as a full 360 ° rotation about each of three rotational axes (also referred to herein as α, β, and γ).

In addition, each

user location

78a, 78b is equipped with a Virtual Reality (VR) dedicated CPU (not shown) and a VR display 82. The presently preferred VR display device includes a mask and audio earpieces or earphones worn by the user, but the invention fully encompasses other types of VR devices. Preferably, two side-by-side users in a single gimbal assembly may sit on a transverse track (not shown), allowing each user to be positioned laterally such that the user's center of mass coincides with the intersection of the three axes of rotation. This is also useful for centering a single user of the gimbal assembly.

The gimbal assembly 60 also includes at least one motion sensor reference device connected to the power supply 50. It is not attached to the helmet. Prior art helmets can employ any of two different motion tracking techniques: in one of them, the independent sensor is an optical sensor connected to the gimbal CPU; the other is simply a reference point for emitting laser light picked up by a motion sensor on the helmet. It essentially acts as a "lighthouse" for the helmet to determine its position in space. In the latter case, the independent sensor is not tied to the gimbal CPU, only to the power supply. If the motion sensor reference device is connected to the CPU, the GPU/graphics processing unit and thus the VR headset 82 will be controlled by the same CPU to accurately track the user's head so that the VR display in the mask will follow the user's head motion as the user moves his head to look left or right or up or down. Connecting the CPU/GPU device to the VR display 82 entirely within the third gimbal minimizes the movement time delay/motion photon delay to improve the real-time fidelity of the user experience.

Power is provided to the three gimbals via slip rings 84 in the rotary couplings between the first and second gimbals and between the second and third gimbals.

In operation, the mixed reality/virtual motion system, which is defined herein as a six-dimensional mixed reality/virtual motion system, is operable to create a virtual reality experience in the user's mind that is synchronized with the real motion experience of the user's body along three orthogonal linear axes and three orthogonal rotational axes.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in a second embodiment 86 of a gimbal assembly according to the present invention, a fourth gimbal 88 may be included in the gimbal assembly to prevent "gimbal lock-up" as is known in the gimbal art. Gimbal lockup is the lack of one degree of freedom in a three-dimensional, three-gimbal mechanism that occurs when the axes of two of the three gimbals are driven into a parallel configuration, thereby "locking" the system into rotation in a degraded two-dimensional space. The term deadlock is misleading: no universal joint is limited. All three gimbals are still free to rotate about their respective suspension axes. However, due to the parallel orientation of the two gimbal axes, there is no gimbal available to accommodate rotation along one axis. This problem can be overcome by using a fourth gimbal 88, the fourth gimbal 88 being disposed within the third gimbal 74 and intelligently driven by a motor to maintain a large angle between the two gimbal axes.

Referring now to fig. 9, a third embodiment 110 of the gimbal assembly according to the present invention is a simplified variation of the first embodiment 60 (fig. 6) in which the outer gimbal 66 is replaced by a carriage assembly 112, the carriage assembly 112 having two support posts 114 rotatable about a vertical axis 68 by a motor 116 and supported by a horizontal bearing 123. The housing of the motor 116 is mounted on the platform 52 (fig. 5).

The remainder of the gimbal assembly is substantially the same as that shown in fig. 5. Gimbal 70 is driven about axis 72 by motor 73 and gimbal 74 is driven about axis 76 by motor 77.

Referring now to fig. 10 and 11, a fourth embodiment 120 of the gimbal assembly according to the present invention is a variation of embodiment 110 (fig. 9) in which the entire gimbal assembly is rotatably mounted on a wheeled carriage 122 via a horizontal support 123 attached to the underside of gimbal assembly 66. The motor 116 (not visible in fig. 10) is mounted on a platform 124 of the carriage 122. The bracket 122 includes first and second horizontal flanges 126 projecting between the wheels, the first and second horizontal flanges 126 for engaging with clamps 128 on the platform 52 to secure the apparatus of embodiment 120 to the platform 52 during operation of the simulator.

Referring to FIG. 12, an exemplary method for loading and unloading a plurality of gimbal assemblies 120 to and from platform 52 is shown. An important operational consideration of the simulator 100 is the time and difficulty required to load and remove the user from the operating position. One possible solution is to provide an additional set 150 of gimbal assemblies 120 into which the user can be loaded and secured off-site (not shown) while the simulator is running a previous ride. Upon conversion, the previous user in the first set 140 of gimbal assemblies is driven off the platform 52 via a detachable ramp 142 for unloading passengers off-site and reloading the gimbal assemblies with new users, while the next user in the second set 140 of gimbal assemblies is driven onto the platform 52 via a detachable ramp 152 and clamped into place.

Referring now to fig. 13-16, the master controller drives the motors within the physical environment. The server drives the virtual environment. Both the main controller and the server preload the position versus time data (assuming motor control is not real time). In the case of motion control, the master controller will take an analog input signal corresponding to the desired acceleration and convert it to a control variable for the motor.

The main controller sends and receives position data to and from the controller for each set of motors corresponding to one degree of freedom. The master controller also maps the physical position (p) of each individual motor group_m) And sending to the server. All motor controllers in the present invention use a feedback loop to maintain position accuracy at a high sample rate and they all work in the same way. For the motor controller in the x direction depicted in fig. 14, the master controller sends the desired position (x) in the x direction. The x controller takes x and sends it to the proportional integral derivative controller (PID) of each motor. PID₁Actual position x determined by an encoder based on desired position x₁And M₁And M₂Deviation (x) between₂-x₁) To calculate for the first linear motor (M) in the x-direction₁) The desired speed of the motor. The deviation is calculated between adjacent motors, the last one being compared with the first one. This ensures that all motors operating with the same degree of freedom remain aligned. At PID₁After calculating the velocity (v) required to obtain the desired position, it is sent to DRIVE₁。DRIVE₁Is M₁The necessary voltage and current levels are provided to effectively perform the operation. Is arranged at M₁The encoder of (2) will x₁And feeding back to the x controller. x is the number of_i，x₂,.. and x_qIs sent back to the master controller, where q is equal to the number of motors operating in the x direction. The operation of the controller for the other degrees of freedom is the same. In the case of the gimbal motor controller in fig. 15 and 16, there can be up to two motors per degree of freedom, however there can be an infinite number of linear motors controlling one degree of freedom. Moreover, η degrees of freedom are only necessary for four-joint assemblies.

The master controller compares the current position (p) of each motor_m) And sending to the server. The input stream receives the motor position data and converts it to a virtual engine friendly format (e). The engine friendly variables are sent to the server instance where e is used toAn appropriate virtual direction is determined, which may vary from occupant to occupant depending on the respective virtual experience of the occupant. The virtual experience need not be the same for all users riding simultaneously, and the physical rotational motion may also be different. However, at any given time, the physical linear motion is the same for all users. Additionally, if the gimbal assemblies have more than one occupant, their rotational speeds will vary depending on the position of their seats. Although the real linear motion of all riders is the same, they may have different virtual linear motions. This is because riders may be tricked into virtually faster or slower than their physical movements. Thus, it is not necessary in all cases to be a virtual to physical motion 1: 1 synchronization. The same is true for rotational motion, so l_nAnd r_nMay differ between the occupants. The servers run at the same clock as the master controller and they can all execute a feedback loop to determine if the motor (for the master controller) or virtual environment (for the servers) needs to be accelerated or decelerated to maintain synchronization. The server sends position data to the respective CPUs on each gimbal assembly based on the gimbal assembly and the seat in which each person is seated. Each client instance sends client-specific frames to the VR headset for viewing by the user and accompanying audio via the headphones. The positional data of the occupant's head, hands, and any targets being tracked may be sent back to the client instance to recalculate the client-specific frame.

One important use of the simulator according to the invention is to reproduce real world travel through time and space. By mounting accelerometers, gyroscopes, other Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), or any combination thereof, to any moving target, rotational and translational motion of the target can be measured and recorded in real time. The data from these sensors can be mathematically divided into three-dimensional components and used to control all the motor sets within the motion simulator to accurately reproduce the original motion with high fidelity. Some examples of potential moving objects to be recorded and subsequently simulated include, but are not limited to, automobiles, motorboats, skaters, airplanes, and dune buggy.

While the invention has been described with reference to a number of specific embodiments, it will be understood that the spirit and scope of the invention should be determined only by the claims that can be supported by the present specification. Further, while in many cases herein systems and devices and methods are described as having a certain number of elements, it should be understood that these systems, devices and methods may be practiced with fewer than the particular number of elements described. Also, while a number of specific embodiments have been described, it should be understood that features and aspects that have been described with reference to each specific embodiment can be used with each remaining specifically described embodiment.

Claims

1. A combined translational and rotational motion simulator operable to combine visual graphics in synchronization with a user's real motion along a prescribed real motion path in space corresponding to a virtual motion path displayed to the user in the visual graphics, comprising:

a) a first translation device secured to a surface and operable to translate the user in a first linear direction;

b) a second translation device disposed on the first translation device and operable to translate the user in a second linear direction different from the first linear direction;

b) a third translation device disposed on the second translation device and operable to translate the user in a third linear direction different from the first and second linear directions;

d) a fourth device disposed on the third translation device and operable to support the user through first, second and third linear translations, and the fourth device, along with the first translation device, the second translation device and the third translation device, defines a translational movement assembly;

e) a first rotating device disposed on the fourth device and having a first axis of rotation about which the first rotating device is rotatable in a first direction of rotation;

f) a second rotary device disposed within the first rotary device and having a second axis of rotation different from the first axis of rotation, the second rotary device being rotatable about the second axis of rotation in a second direction of rotation;

g) a third rotational device disposed within the second rotational device, having a third rotational axis different from the first and second rotational axes, about which the third rotational device is rotatable in a third rotational direction, and which together with the first and second rotational devices defines a first rotational motion assembly that is rotatable through more than 360 ° in at least two of the first, second and third rotational directions;

h) at least one user seating seat disposed within the third rotating apparatus;

i) a fifth apparatus comprising a visual display device operable to create a virtual reality scene visible to the user and an acoustic speaker;

j) a sixth device comprising a microelectronic device operable to provide graphics processing capabilities to the fifth device; and

k) a control subsystem comprising at least one programmable controller operatively connected to the first translation device, the second translation device, the third translation device and the fourth device to control the translational movement assembly in the first linear direction, the second linear direction and the third linear direction, and operatively connected to the first rotation device, the second rotation device and the third rotation device to control rotation in the first rotation direction, the second rotation direction and the third rotation direction, and operatively connected to the sixth device to ensure synchronization of real and virtual movement.

2. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the first translation device comprises a first motor selected from the group consisting of a linear synchronous motor, a linear induction motor, a rotary motor, and a hydraulic motor.

3. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the second translation device comprises a second motor selected from the group consisting of a linear synchronous motor, a linear induction motor, a rotary motor, and a hydraulic motor.

4. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the third translation device includes a third motor selected from the group consisting of a linear synchronous motor, a linear induction motor, a rotary motor, and a hydraulic motor.

5. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the first and second translation devices enable the fourth device to occupy respective first and second horizontal spatial dimensions, and the third translation device enables the fourth device to occupy a vertical spatial dimension.

6. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the fourth apparatus further comprises a horizontal platform supporting the first rotational motion assembly.

7. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the at least one user seating seat is plural.

8. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the first rotational motion components disposed on the fourth device.

9. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of virtual reality components disposed on the fourth device.

10. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein a prescribed real motion path in space can be switched to a different prescribed real motion path in space by reprogramming the at least one programmable controller.

11. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the at least one programmable controller and the sixth device are operable to synchronize the real motion of each member of the translational motion assembly and the first rotational motion assembly with the virtual motion experienced by the virtual reality motion.

12. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, having seven degrees of freedom due to further including a fourth rotational device disposed in the third rotational device;

wherein the first, second, third, fourth rotational devices define a second rotational motion assembly capable of simultaneously rotating a user about any one of three spatial dimensions, and

wherein the rotation begins instantaneously at any time around any of the three spatial dimensions.

13. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third translation devices comprises at least one linear motor.

14. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third rotational devices comprise first, second, and third motorized gimbals to define a gimbal assembly.

15. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 14, comprising a plurality of the gimbal assemblies.

16. The combined translational and rotational motion simulator of claim 15, wherein at least one of the gimbal assemblies is removably disposed on the fourth device.