Lately, Berney Villers Jr of SimXperience has been giving us input on the inner workings of how Force Feedback replicates the feel of cars via our wheels. This time, he has given us another chapter, taking a look at how inertia and friction can affect wheel feel, and how he looks to combat it with the AccuForce.
READ SIMXPERIENCE BLOG: WHEEL FEEL – BEFORE THE FORCE FEEDBACK IS APPLIED
We as sim racers have one goal: true 1:1 interaction with the virtual cars we are driving. However, there are quite a few compromises that can be made in our hardware, namely in the Force Feedback department. In the case of gear/belt drive wheels, they use a small motor combined with a tall gear ratio. That results in force and speed being lost as energy is being transferred from the motor, through the belt/gears, to the steering wheel. Think of it like a small car getting bogged down at low RPMs.
SimXperience is looking to try to bring a true 1:1 experience in your hands with the AccuForce wheel and SimCommander software. Utilizing a direct drive system for the wheel, no energy is transferred through a ratio system, to give as much torque as possible, with minimal base inertia. However, some people would like different levels of inertia for different cars (for example, you may want to simulate a power steering system in a modern race car or a classic race car’s steering rack), so the SimCommander software will be allow you to customize your levels.
We will be able to see what all of this technical jargon will result in when the AccuForce drops later this year. The wheel is expected to cost around $1,500, with the Pro and Pro MOMO Edition retailing under $2,000. You should also check out SimXperience’s competition, where you can win an AccuForce Pro wheel!
What are your thoughts on Berney’s latest blog post? Let us know!
