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My new project - 'Transformer' Standup/Sit down driver cab

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Cretster:
Ok guys, this is the background first to the project, I already had a standup cab I built and modded over the last few years which has been a project I really enjoyed doing.

I love the challenge of a build that does what I want, but am not good when it comes to the finish of projects etc sadly.
So the original was a standup with a fold out keyboard, two player stick & buttons, trackball, and pinball controls, plus a steering wheel that folded out from inside the cabinet to lock in place on the front for driver games (pedals permanently in situ at the bottom).  Also a flight stick that rotates from the side of the cab to lock in position on the front.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I loved making it and playing it.  Recently though there's been a few changes making me wanting to change it.
1) My kids (4 and 6) want to play on it but aren't tall enough really and if on a chair can't reach pedals and wheel simultaneously.  It's driving games they like most.
2) More and more I want to play driver games (either PC based ones, or now I've included a 360 in it, Forza 4). I have back problems and my back doesn't appreciate me standing to play drivers or sitting on the edge of a tall chair.
3) I'd like to build a dedicated driver cab but no way this is happening due to space constraints.  I don't have a place to fit one permanently due to the footprint - the wife doesn't like the existing cab taking up space, so a second one is out of the question, and replacing the existing one with a sit in cab is no good for other games.
4) I also want a sit in cab for playing flight sims and now that I have it, for Elite Dangerous too.....

So the conclusion was to disassemble the current cab and build one that ticks both boxes.  I.e. a stand up that converts to a sit in racing cab as & when required.
Many people may not like the idea so please don't feel the need to follow the project if this is not your cup of tea - we all like different things, and I like a challenge.

First things first, I knocked up a hasty balsa scale model to see if it would remotely be something worth trying.
This is effectively the current stand up machine:

Then here with the top module lowered, the front panel folded down and seat in position, plus wheel folded out from within the cab:



Step one then, take apart the existing cab:
Here is was in place:


Stripped out:


Taking cab apart:


Now one 'upgrade' here was that the existing 19" monitor was acceptable stood up close for the games, in that format cab, but sitting down and further back as a driver it would need a bigger screen so I bought a 32" LCD for the job.

With that in mind, I cut both side panels just below the level of control panel, in order that there would be a top module containing the new monitor, and which could be raised & lowered as required depending on the mode of the machine.  The top section was measured and widened to suit the new monitor:




The monitor module will raise & lower by approx 13" between modes.  A little more travel would be good in an idea world but I think after some basic measuring that this should do the job.
This is achieved with an electric linear actuator donated by a friend:



To stabilise the movement up & down of this section and make sure it moves as smoothly as possible I've got a set of 4 linear bearing blocks, for 16mm rod/tube.  So the ram will push towards the rear centre of the monitor module, and the bearings rods will be closer to the front.  I'd prefer the ram to be mounted more centrally to balance the weight more evenly, but it would put it right in the way of other parts of mechanism required so I don't think I can.  This may get experimented with, depending on how it behaves as the build progresses.  It's important that the top section moves nicely and isn't wobbling around the place!!
Not sure what else will be housed in the top with the monitor yet, eg the PC itself or AV amp etc.  Undecided at present.  It can lift 160kg so no problems either way.  Just a matter of what suits the space best, and what room is available elsewhere.

The seat section will housed in be the 3 foot tall front panel (to the height of the control panel when in stand up mode) which pivots down from the base.  This'll need to have some sort of built in side panels to improve the look (will be tricky for the bearing rails to keep out of the way of these).  A folding seat will be fitted in the top of this panel, and hopefully be adjustable forwards & backwards, with the same for the pedals.  Not sure what mechanism I'll use for having these adjust but it needs to not be too fiddly really.

Contents out of the old cabinet!



Anyway, I've begun some progress on beginning the built/adaptation.

These pics are hard to see what's what from the floor in the shed looking the same as the parts of cabinet but still.  It might give an idea. 
Here's the separated top & bottom panels showing the approx position of the actuator, and the the bearings rods in place:


This one maybe shows a touch better the positioning of these parts to facilitate the moving up & down of the monitor section.
The positioning of the bearings/rods & actuator are far from being final yet.



One issue I forsee potentially is the strength/rigidity of the bottom half of the cabinet.  The problem is that due to the way the top section lowers down, I can't put a cross member/beam across the front at the top of the lower section, so this can introduce weakness and flex potentially.  Hopefully the fact that it's locked in with the top module via the sliders will prevent this being an issue, but I'll just have to wait and see how it transpires as things progress.

So this will be interesting to say the least.  I've bought the monitor and completely dismantled the old cab so no going back now.
One bonus of course is that as a driver cab I'll be able to include rear speakers and thus install a nice 5.1 sound system to it, which should add to the enjoyment playing the likes of Forza and Elite etc.  Also, it may be an option to include some sort of rumble thing under the seat.
Flight controls are planned on being integrated to the fold down panel, but so they can rotate out of the way as required.

The front panel is unlikely to be motorised at this stage, but I plan on using a pair of gas struts (car tailgate type) to enable it to raise/lower with a relatively neutral balance if I can get it right.

Cheers guys!

Generic Eric:
Looks cool.

BadMouth:
Anything with actuators on it is cool!  ;D ;D ;D

Cretster:
Thanks folks.

More than happy to accept ideas & input on any obvious blunders in design that'll stop something from working further down the line.  I have at least planned this at a crude level (more than I normally do), but certainly not to the extent of the wonderful 3D models some people make.  I don't have sufficient skill with those programs nor the spare time to learn currently.
Please don't take offense if you you offer suggestions/criticism and I don't agree or do something the way suggested - I very much appreciate the input & ideas regardless!

Re' the actuators, originally I was meant to have 2 of these big buggers but my friend cannot find the matching one.  One is plenty sufficient for the weight involved but would have been nice to use the other for raising/lowering the seat section.
I do have a second actuator but a baby one which has 78mm travel from one end to the other.  I'm wondering if this can be used to move the wheel from its hidden to deployed position, but would have to think about how to effectively translate that 78mm movement into around 180 rotation of the wheel in an arc.  Got an idea how that might be done but need to sketch it out....

Cretster:
Also, don't expect anything remotely resembling aesthetics for a long time yet.  The main thing is to do proof of concept in respect of the moving parts and ensure they can co-ordinate and get into positions where it's ergonomically acceptable, before then adding any electronics and tidying it all up.

I've got a nice Yamaha AV amp (DTS/Dolby Digital 5.1) that's sort of surplus to requirements, but due to the amount of space it'll take up and the fact I'd then have to have full access to all the controls/display etc is making me think twice about using it.  Possibly it could fit beneath the driver seat, but then it's not accessible for stand up mode for the cabinet.

This is something I'll have to address since even if I just buy something like a fairly cheap PC based 5.1 system it'll be great from the space & practicality angle, and would simplify controls etc, but I'd want to arrange it somehow so that at the very least the volume is in easy reach in either playing mode.  Not sure how that would work or where/how I would need to position controls in order that they would be accessible for both scenarios but it needs some thought.

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