DIY Force Feedback Flywheel Gets Motor From Old Power Drill
Racing simulators these days are verygood, thanks to incredibly realistic graphics and physics. The developers recreated the effects of everything from tire composition to asphalt temperature. But a lot of that effort is wasted when playing with a standard gamepad, as it probably can't get any feedback other than vibration. To get the most out of the racing simulations, Jason Winfield built a force feedback flywheel using the motor from an old electric drill.
Force feedback wheels act as both input and output devices. As input devices, they monitor the angle of the wheel to provide steering value to the game. As output devices, a motor forces the steering wheel to turn based on what is happening in the simulation. In a tight turn, this could provide resistance. If you lose control, the wheel can move wildly. Because it has to overcome the player's own grip on the steering wheel, the force feedback motor needs a lot of torque and that's why Winfield chose to take the motor from an electric drill.
This motor, like any you'll find in a decent drill, is powerful. It also includes a planetary gearbox to increase torque at the expense of speed - a valid compromise for an application like this. Winfield also salvaged the motor's high-current driver, which can be an expensive component. An Arduino Leonardo board controls the operation of the motor based on values from the racing simulation and also sends direction commands to the simulation.
As Winfield points out, this prototype has some issues, and the strength of the parts isn't good enough for long-term use. But with a little more development, it should have a force feedback steering wheel nifty enough to race!
Racing simulators these days are verygood, thanks to incredibly realistic graphics and physics. The developers recreated the effects of everything from tire composition to asphalt temperature. But a lot of that effort is wasted when playing with a standard gamepad, as it probably can't get any feedback other than vibration. To get the most out of the racing simulations, Jason Winfield built a force feedback flywheel using the motor from an old electric drill.
Force feedback wheels act as both input and output devices. As input devices, they monitor the angle of the wheel to provide steering value to the game. As output devices, a motor forces the steering wheel to turn based on what is happening in the simulation. In a tight turn, this could provide resistance. If you lose control, the wheel can move wildly. Because it has to overcome the player's own grip on the steering wheel, the force feedback motor needs a lot of torque and that's why Winfield chose to take the motor from an electric drill.
This motor, like any you'll find in a decent drill, is powerful. It also includes a planetary gearbox to increase torque at the expense of speed - a valid compromise for an application like this. Winfield also salvaged the motor's high-current driver, which can be an expensive component. An Arduino Leonardo board controls the operation of the motor based on values from the racing simulation and also sends direction commands to the simulation.
As Winfield points out, this prototype has some issues, and the strength of the parts isn't good enough for long-term use. But with a little more development, it should have a force feedback steering wheel nifty enough to race!
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