Spherical Simulator Quadrant Positioning and Reduction Pulley Drive

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current motion simulators, particularly spherical ones, often cause disorientation and nausea due to the positioning of occupants across quadrants, leading to a disconnect between the simulated experience and real-world sensations, and are often expensive and complex in design.

Innovation Solution

A virtual motion-acceleration spherical simulator with occupants positioned within individual quadrants of a sphere, utilizing a unique drive system with reduction pulleys and geared motors, allowing whole-body acceleration in the same direction, combined with advanced audiovisual and feedback systems for immersive simulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If occupants are positioned across quadrants (upper body in central line, lower body below line), then the simulator can accommodate multiple occupants, but this causes disorientation, nausea and discomfort due to opposite acceleration directions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of occupantsVSAvoiddisorientation and nausea
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions occupants in specific quadrants of the spherical simulator where their bodies are aligned with the rotation axis rather than across quadrants. This asymmetric positioning ensures that acceleration forces act uniformly along the same direction for all occupants, preventing the disorientation and nausea that would result from opposite acceleration directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates different positioning configurations for different occupants within the sphere, with each occupant positioned in a quadrant optimized for their orientation. This local optimization ensures that each person experiences acceleration in the correct direction relative to their body orientation, eliminating discomfort while maintaining multi-occupant capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Power

If a large and powerful engine is used to drive the spherical simulator, then high motion acceleration and realism are achieved, but the cost and complexity of the system increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion acceleration capabilityVSAvoidengine size and system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the spherical geometry of the simulator to achieve efficient motion distribution. By positioning occupants within the sphere and utilizing rotational movement around the sphere's axis, the system generates realistic acceleration forces through the curved path, maximizing the effectiveness of the drive mechanism while minimizing the power required compared to linear or non-spherical configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The spherical design creates equipotential conditions for force distribution, where the rotational motion generates consistent acceleration forces throughout the occupant positions. This geometric optimization allows the system to achieve high motion acceleration capability with a more modestly sized engine, as the spherical geometry efficiently converts rotational input into uniform acceleration across all occupant locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration provides a more immersive and nausea-free experience, enhancing the realism of simulations while reducing costs and complexity, making high-quality motion simulation accessible and affordable for various applications.

Implementation Method 1

the mechanisms of rotation of the gyroscopic spheres (3) and (4), which are composed of a drive assembly of the outer sphere (3) which performs the longitudinal movement 'Y'... a motor that is coupled to a lower container, provided internally a gear unit with a toothed pulley (coupled to the motor) and two flat pulleys, wherever pierces, and rotates a toothed belt which pulls the vertical collar of the outer sphere which functions as a large reduction pulley

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Advantage: Mechanical Advantage

Implementation Method 2

spherical simulator geared with virtual motion-accelerations... providing a more immersive and nausea-free experience, enhancing the realism of simulations... whole-body acceleration in the same direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal Force: Centrifugal Force

Data Source

PatentEP3082122B1Applied layout in virtual motion-acceleration spherical simulator
Publication Date: 2018.07.25 MOTION SPHERE DESENVOLVIMENTO DE TECHA E LOCACAO LTDA EPP
  • EP3082122B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3082122B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3082122B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

"APPLIED LAYOUT IN VIRTUAL MOTION-ACCELERATION SPHERICAL SIMULATOR", Reference is made to the given model to technical field of simulators for education, training, gaming, amusement and leisure purposes, in which the players may control land, aquatic and air vehicles, among other modalities, mainly the layout applied in virtual motion-acceleration spherical simulator, which highlights its recent features as follows: the operator (A) and its navigator (B) positioning in single quadrants (Q) and (Q1), which means, each person takes one seat from the eight quadrants from the sphere, such arrangement, enables the generation of the motion accelerations in the whole body into the same direction, triggering a real life stimulus sensation according to the game motion, as the opposite as found in different models in the current technique, where the operator is positioned across the quadrants (the upper body part stands in central line of the sphere and the lower body part, below such line), according to such arrangement, the head shakes to one side while the body to the other, causing disorientation in the occupants, nausea and other conditions; another innovative feature of this model is the use of the sphere itself as, reduction pulleys, which is performed through the use of toothed belts (6F) and (8F) which covers the entire diameter of the two rims (3) and (4), which comprises the sphere, and a geared motor (6A) and (8A), with reduction (6C) and (8C) and toothed pulleys (6D) and (8D) for each axis, then, it disposes the use of a very large and powerful engine to perform the movements, as per the current praxis technical status.