Downhill mountain biking is a dangerous and often inaccessible sport, as it requires skills and equipment that may be difficult to acquire and access to specific geographies and climates. The recent rise of the virtual technology and simulation market has created a demand for products that replicate experiences unavailable to some users. Current solutions attempt to address this market by creating mountain biking simulators, but these products lack key experiential factors, including the capability to pitch downwards, lean into turns, and feel the terrain—essential parts of the mountain biking experience.
TrailBlazer addresses these deficiencies by providing a novel, VR-integrated mechanism that better represents the experience of downhill mountain biking, including the downward pitch of the bike, vibration of the frame, user-induced steering and leaning, and resistive pedaling.
TrailBlazer achieves a range of motion greater than any competitor in the market, with both pitch and roll angle ranges of ±29º. Additionally, TrailBlazer also achieves a maximum angular speed of 25º/s and can apply forces of up to 450 lbs to accurately simulate the vibration of the frame.
The combination of a larger range of motion, faster angular pitch speeds, accurate vibration magnitudes and frequencies, and immersive VR visual display yields the most realistic mountain biking simulation yet.
TrailBlazer utilizes a double-acting, pneumatic air cylinder, which applies up to 1000 pounds of force to actuate the pitching motion. The air cylinder is controlled by a set of servo-actuated proportional valves which control the flow of pressurized air from a compressor. The extension of the pneumatic actuator is sensed by a high-resolution hall effect sensor and an internally embedded magnetic placed within the cylinder.
The vibrations of the frame are achieved via an eccentric rotating mass (ERM), which applies up to 450 pounds of force and achieves simulated accelerations of up to 16.5 ft/s2.
The extension of the air cylinder and vibration of the ERM are automatically controlled by a programmable logic controller which is fed trajectories that match the real-time visual display of the VR headset, achieving a synchronous visual and tactile experience.
The active actuation is paired with a spring plate mechanism which passively applies restorative forces to return the bike frame and rider to a stable, neutral position. This system not only allows the rider to lean side-to-side freely while riding, but also significantly reduces the necessary force output by the air cylinder, greatly economizing on the cost of actuation.
The magnitude of restorative forces applied by the spring-plate are fully adjustable via lead screw-mounted springs, allowing for fine-tuned restoration for a large variety of rider preferences and weights, ranging from 100-250 lbs.
The design of TrailBlazer also contains several minor subsystems, including a pedal resistance system which employs a viscous fluid damper to simulate the work of pedaling, a base frame which provides system stability and ensures rider safety, and movable bike handles and brakes to maintain riding immersion.
