The Journey of Invention: The Kinemaniacs Story begins
When the Kinemaniacs team first formed, we embarked on our journey with a simple but audacious goal: To create a 6DOF motion platform capable of magnetic levitation.
The journey began by taking existing hoverboard motors, which were originally not designed for this purpose, and modifying them to fit our needs.
Using a healthy dose of creative ingenuity, hot glue, super glue, and 3D printing, we attached 14-bit encoders to these motors.
The aim was to convert them into precision tools capable of exerting fine control over the platform’s motion. Mechanical fit was a challenge that was overcome through iterative modification and a lot of trial and error.
Once we had the modified motor-encoder pairs, we interfaced them with the oDrive, conducting power tests, torque tests, and so on.
The time came to test our creation: Could these six modified direct drive hoverboard motors actually levitate a human? Configuring them in the Stewart-Gough platform configuration, we found the answer: they could!
However, success brought new challenges. The motors began to overheat under load. We turned to our creative mindset again. We employed simple gas struts, manually pressurising them to relatively high pressures, and tested a compensation system. It worked! Our hoverboard motors could now hold a payload of up to 150kg stable in 3D space, levitating on magnetic fields, without overheating.
But we didn’t stop there. We delved into the world of industrial automation to find larger diameter pneumatic pistons. A bit more creativity turned these into programmable springs, equipped with electronic solenoids, a pressure sensor, a central manifold, and some clever coding.
The Kinemaniacs platform was now not only capable of holding a payload in 3D space with minimal power (~15W) but could also react instantaneously to any external forces or movements from the user, with power demand spiking to counter these.
Then came game integration and motion cueing. Each step along the way brought new discoveries, new possibilities.
This is one of the many journeys of invention we’ve travelled so far.
Stay tuned, Kinemaniacs! There’s much more to come. This is just the beginning.
