Saturday, March 17, 2007

iVibe Tactile Feedback

I ordered my iVibe Tactile Feedback setup today. Check it out at:


Basically it's a controller that connects to your computer via USB and gets information from Flight Simulator. Using a "module" as part of it's intellivibe system(and I'm assuming it uses FSUIPC) it sends information to one of three zones in a seat cushion unit that you place on your chair giving you all sorts of realist feelings in your back and legs. From the ivibe website:

"Contained within the TFSU are 6 powerful electromechanical actuators, arranged in 3 pairs: one pair in the back section, one pair in the left leg section, and one pair in the right leg section. All three zones can function independently or in unison. By having three independent zones, games that support intellivibe can render things such as vector based gforce, acceleration and braking cues, direction-based incoming flak, and just about any other thing you can think of.
Our tactile feedback actuators use heavy duty industrial brushless 26 volt Mabuchi DC motors. These are among the highest quality DC motors available on the planet. Each is expected to last for years of heavy use."

They have 3 demo videos on their website showing how the software pulls information from Flight Simulator and sends it to the correct zone. The movies are here:




I already own the Buttkicker Gamer which in itself is a magnetic actuator that sits on the bottom of your chair. What the buttkicker does however is takes the sound from your sound card, amplifies it and uses that amplification to power the actuator. So, any and all sounds "move the motor" per say. The only issue right now is it rattles the hell out of my chair, even at low volume which then vibrates the floor and bothers people.

The ivibe gets software input directly from Flight Simulator to power the correct "zone" based on what information is being sent to it. Much more intelligent it seems and I'm hoping less actual "floor" vibration.

We'll find out soon!

Matt

VATSIM Pilot, USA-W
Coral Airlines, N324CR
Pilot ID: 908853

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