Here is an idea for simulating the G-forces in a sim. It sprang up in my mind, and I wonder if there already is/was anything like it.

Imagine a harness that you can strap on, and that has a couple of pressure pads mounted on inside of the harness. You would need at least 4 pads: one placed on your left hip/waist, one on your right, one in the back and one on the belly/chest. When a pad is activated you will feel a light pressure or rumble (comparable to a mobile phone buzzer, but a bit stronger). This pressure corresponds with the forces that act on your body as you race.

My guess is that this kind of device could be made for around 100 EUR. It may be a poor simulation of the G-forces, but at least it provides some info about what is happening with the car. And it is loads cheaper than a motion simulator.

If it's strapped to you all you would likely feel is something poking you. I think it would have to be stabilized on something (chair? bucket seat?) to exert a force that actually pushes you. And still that might be limited to lateral forces.

I've seen something like what you have described, but it was for FPS games, it simulates you being shot.

Quote from xaotik :

If it's strapped to you all you would likely feel is something poking you.

You may very well be right. With a motion simulator, your body receives actual G-forces. With the harness I decribed, your body gets another sensory input, but one that may get translated by your brain (after some training), so it knows about the G-forces and can react to them. And that may help in your driving.

Compare it with TrackIR. That does really not give you a 360 degree view -- you still have only 1 monitor to look at, and you need to train your eyeballs to keep looking at it. But people say that it increases immersion. It may not be entirely natural/realistic but it still helps, and it's more practical (and cheaper) than placing a wall of monitors around you.

Quote from wsinda :

With the harness I decribed, your body gets another sensory input, but one that may get translated by your brain (after some training), so it knows about the G-forces and can react to them. And that may help in your driving.

Well yeah, you'd have to interpret the signal all over again - I imagine that happens with motion platforms as well to a certain degree, only it's more familiar - so it wouldn't be exactly a simulator then.

Quote from wsinda :

Compare it with TrackIR. That does really not give you a 360 degree view -- you still have only 1 monitor to look at, and you need to train your eyeballs to keep looking at it.

OT
Most examples of such headtracking software I have seen were pretty extreme - I wonder if someone could constrain the angle to something that's closer to a real-life, intuitive amount - like, just enough to look at the apex without necessarily having to glance sideways at the screen.

someone else had a similar idea on this forum before... the conclusion was that going down to the docks is a cheaper solution
http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=568731#post568731

I'm pretty sure I've seen a thread about a vest which contains such pads.. I think it was only for the torso though. Sorry, I don't remember the name or manufacturer. Anyone know?

Quote from Gnomie :

I'm pretty sure I've seen a thread about a vest which contains such pads.. I think it was only for the torso though. Sorry, I don't remember the name or manufacturer. Anyone know?

Yes, it was in the thread that Shotglass linked to:

Quote from Juls :

Such a vest already exists. TN Games is launching such a product in November this year.
http://www.tngames.com

8 tactile actuators are placed in the vest...4 front, 4 back. According to their API, these actuators can be either on or off, there is no progressive pressure.

I suppose they suggest forces using vibrations of these actuators with changing frequency.

The vest is for FPS games. Something like this could be usable for racing sims. The actuators would need to be in different places, and they should exert gradual forces, instead of the "explosions" that you need FPS games.

there's also a flak jacket that sims gun shots for playing RPG combat games. it was on the Gadget show (uk) they loved it.

Quote from wsinda :

Yes, it was in the thread that Shotglass linked to

Doh, I didn't see..

Update: Inside Sim Racing episode 24 has a review of the iVibe seat, which looks to be what I was thinking of, but in the shape of a cushion that you can put in your seat (http://www.ivibe.com). At $240 it's not exactly low-budget, though, and it doesn't support LFS (yet?).

The iVibe dev has been around on the forums sometime in the past stating that the data which LFS outputs is not enough to create a plugin for the actual FFB. However, judging from that review it seems like it's just a complicated vibrator - the only thing the reviewer mentions is "road buzz" and feeling curbs.

they amde this divice that you wear like headphones which makes pulses to your ear that you can't hear much but messes with your inner ear the cochlea and acually mekes you feel your moving for real!!! i see if ifind youtube

Quote from xaotik :

The iVibe dev has been around on the forums sometime in the past stating that the data which LFS outputs is not enough to create a plugin for the actual FFB.

:doh: http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=14973

Quote :

However, judging from that review it seems like it's just a complicated vibrator - the only thing the reviewer mentions is "road buzz" and feeling curbs.

I guess it can only vibrate. But if you use the vibrations to indicate G forces, you might get a better idea of what the car is doing than if you use it to simulate road rumble and engine noise.

Quote from george_tsiros :

they amde this divice that you wear like headphones which makes pulses to your ear that you can't hear much but messes with your inner ear the cochlea and acually mekes you feel your moving for real!!! i see if ifind youtube

You mean galvanic vestibular stimulation?

Ah, so that's what all the NPCs I see on the street with headphones on are about. Makes sense.

Omg! Yes! :d