"Tires do not reach their limit of traction and then all of a sudden break away into the land of skidding and sliding. Sometimes it may feel like that, but they always give you some warning signs. As they reach their limit of adhesion or traction limit, they gradually relax their grip on the road. In fact, primarily due to the elasticity of the rubber, tires have to slip a certain amount to achieve maximum traction. The term used to describe this tire slippage in cornering (lateral acceleration) is called 'slip angle' and is measured in degrees. As your cornering forces and speed increase, the tire ends up pointing in a slightly different direction than the wheel is actually pointing. The angle between the direction the tire is pointing and the path the wheel is following is the slip angle."
-Ross Bentley. Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Complete Guide to High-Performance and Race Driving.
The SlipSense motion upgrade is the next evolution in personal motion racing simulators which allows the driver to intuitively feel the slip-angle of the rear tires. This unique sensation supplements the sensations felt from a quality force-feedback steering wheel which allows the driver to feel the slip-angle of the front tires. The force-feedback steering wheel combined with SlipSense afford the driver an unprecedented awareness of tire traction. SlipSense is an exclusive add-on motion component for the APX1000, APX2000 and APX3000 racing simulator chassis meticulously designed by Ricmotech. For a race driver to perform at the highest levels they must be capable of sensing tire traction and slip angle. Proficient drivers can sense traction and slip angle of the front tires by analyzing the direction the car is moving, the amount of steering input and the sensations felt in the steering wheel. Simulators work well to replicate the required feedback to the driver so they can properly access front tire traction and slip angle. However, most simulators, including most full motion racing simulators, fail to provide any feedback to the driver regarding rear tire traction and slip angle. SlipSense was developed to solve this and it solves it exceedingly well. The high power, light weight and smooth action of the AP-Xtreme SlipSense system generates instant sensations to help the driver react intuitively. The system is also equipped with passive motion components which create natural motion sensations as the chassis bobs and sways the way a real car does. The full motion racing simulator was designed to move not only the seat, but the entire cockpit, including the on-board displays. This full motion concept assures the driver only feels the motion sensations by moving all the visual reference points together. The result is a fully immersive experience which improves driver reaction times beyond what was previously achievable. Why is SlipSense Better?Most simulators on the market today are G-Force simulators. These simulators move the seat or the simulator in such a way as to replicate the movements felt if the driver were sitting in the actual race car. G-forces are generated when a moving car changes speed and direction over the course of several hundred feet, whereas a simulator is only able to move just a few inches. As a result, the forces are scaled down by over 800% and can only be felt for brief instants since the sensations cannot be sustained. These small movements can work well enough to fool the driver into believing they are feeling some G-forces, but they are scaled down too far to allow the human senses to measure them. Since these movements of the simulator cannot be measured by the human senses, they are ineffective at improving driving technique and reducing lap times. G-Force motion simulators are therefore suitable for amusement purposes only.In contrast, our SlipSense technology concentrates on replicating the sensations felt from tire slip angle. Feeling the sensation of tire traction is far more essential to a skilled driver. As taught by all race driving schools; optimum speed is achieved when the tires are slightly beyond their maximum grip and SlipSense bestows this to the driver in a natural and intuitive form. SlipSense responds to rear tire slip angle with nearly full scale movements and easily allows the driver to feel the angle created between the car and the direction it is moving. When this sensation is combined with a proper force-feedback steering system the driver is able to feel the slip angle of the front tires through the steering wheel and the slip angle of the rear tires through the lateral motion of the cockpit.
New: Now available to all SlipSense owners are specialized tune profiles created by Bryan Heitkotter specifically for the SlipSense's precision low-inertia characteristics. Bryan's unique path to road racing success began in the virtual world. After an intense on-line and in-person gaming competition against nearly 54,000 online players, Bryan advanced to the final week of the first North American Nissan GT Academy competition, held at the legendary Silverstone Circuit in 2011. Driving real cars and competing in physical and mental challenges, the final event was a wheel-to-wheel race around the full Grand Prix circuit. Taking the victory in his first ever race, Bryan won the GT Academy competition and embarked on a six-month Driver Development Program in Europe, racing Nissan 370Zs primarily with RJN Motorsport in the UK. Bryan's race to win GT Academy appeared on Speed as a five-part reality television program. Bryan's unique path in racing makes him particularly sensitive to the performance of properly tuned sim equipment. Bryan has dedicated many hours performing comparison testing with various settings across a multitude of cars and tracks bringing the proper sensation to the SlipSense system.
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