The view of the seat illustrates...
The view of the seat illustrates that realism is an important part of the simulation. The use of a four-point racing harness adds to the simulation and increases the feel of the virtual race car.
The Blue Tiger allows you to develop a multitude of chassis setups and test them in minutes. This same testing process would take up to multiple days at the track, placing the car and driver at risk. This change in the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) could equal savings to the team of hundreds of thousands of dollars in test and travel costs, for one single test session. This is real money, not Betty Crocker dollars, those savings that are just cooked up.
We've long heard from the younger drivers in the sport that the video game is a very real option to help a driver familiarize himself with a track he has never raced. This is, and continues to be, a very common thread in the NASCAR, Formula 1, and racing world in general. Even the drag racing guys have developed "games" to help them with learning during the past several years. Many of the sport's current superstars have utilized video games and game simulations to learn tracks, develop and sharpen driving skill, and as a general form of practice. And, these "games" have netted real positive advances in driver performance.
The problem is that the games offer very little in the way of real world stimulus beyond the visual aspect and/or a methodology of communicating just what the car is really doing as it traverses the various virtual tracks as the game progresses. Many still view the video game as just that, a game with no redeeming value. The time has arrived for the next step in video learning and realistic simulations scenarios.
The Blue Tiger motion simulator is affordable, extremely realistic, tunable, and the level of learning is east to see. For those readers who may have made the trek to the PRI show in Florida this past December, or the Barrett-Jackson auto auction in January, you would have had the opportunity to see the Blue Tiger motion simulator in action. Comments, including some from high-profile racers, were all very positive. They could not believe the realism and connectivity that they were able to experience in a very short period of time. It's not uncommon for a driver to get out after "driving" the Blue Tiger and be covered in sweat. The experience is just that realistic. So, how does all this work?
The electronics and the mechanical interface are all in the base of the simulator. All you need is a PC, some free floor space, and a couple of electrical outlets and you're ready to start simulations. All of the linkage is mounted below the seat and covered by a fabric bellows, keeping them out of the driver's way. The "sled" or driver platform, includes the seat, pedals, and the monitor(s). The Blue Tiger comes with one monitor but there is an option that allows three monitors to be mounted on the sled. The monitors and the seat-sled all move as a uniform action to more closely replicate the real experience.
The Blue Tiger is constructed from steel and aluminum components, it's made to last in a very aggressive environment. The sled and all of the interfaces are adjustable to suit the individual driver. The pedals are completely adjustable both for position and feel. The accelerator is adjustable for pedal force through various springs that will simulate the car the driver would be racing on his/her home track. Brake and clutch pedals have rubber spacers of various durometers to simulate the feel of the brakes and clutch to further enhance the simulation.
The pedals are a single unit...
The pedals are a single unit that is adjustable for a variety of different configurations. The clutch and brake pedal are adjustable for feel by changing a series of different durometer bushings that will help the pedals have the correct "feel" for the car you're trying to simulate.
There are a number of different...
There are a number of different steering wheel options available--from just a simple wheel to this prototype that includes a paddle shifter. The steering wheel is a proprietary force feedback wheel that requires a change in the amount of effort as the speed of the car increases. It also reacts to external stimulus like bumping into other cars and hitting rough racing surfaces. The steering reacts to the changing conditions just like in your race car.
The heart and soul of the...
The heart and soul of the Blue Tiger, this electronic package is responsible, along with the input from the PC running the game program, for the real life motion simulation. You'll notice that the construction is very robust and the components are mounted in a very secure aluminum enclosure that is likewise mounted to the steel support of the lower mount.