CA2213768C - Skydiving trainer windtunnel - Google Patents

Skydiving trainer windtunnel Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2213768C
CA2213768C CA002213768A CA2213768A CA2213768C CA 2213768 C CA2213768 C CA 2213768C CA 002213768 A CA002213768 A CA 002213768A CA 2213768 A CA2213768 A CA 2213768A CA 2213768 C CA2213768 C CA 2213768C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
skydiver
simulator
skydiving
video projection
telemetry
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA002213768A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2213768A1 (en
Inventor
William J. Kitchen
Kenneth G. Bird
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SKYVENTURE INTERNATIONAL (UK) Ltd
Original Assignee
Sky Venture Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sky Venture Inc filed Critical Sky Venture Inc
Publication of CA2213768A1 publication Critical patent/CA2213768A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2213768C publication Critical patent/CA2213768C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63GMERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
    • A63G31/00Amusement arrangements
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64DEQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D23/00Training of parachutists
    • GPHYSICS
    • G09EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09BEDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS
    • G09B9/00Simulators for teaching or training purposes
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63GMERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
    • A63G31/00Amusement arrangements
    • A63G2031/005Skydiving
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63GMERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
    • A63G31/00Amusement arrangements
    • A63G31/16Amusement arrangements creating illusions of travel

Abstract

A skydiving simulator (1) combines a vertical air chamber (4) with a video projection system (6) on the interior wall (22). A virtual reality environment is created as the skydiver, while suspended, see actual film footage of scenarios descending toward earth. A skydiver backpack (50) houses a transmitter (54) which inter-actively steps the skydiver through emergency procedures.

Description

TITLE
Skydiving Trainer Windtunnel FIELD OF INVHNTION
The present invention relates to a new combination of a t vertical wind tunnel which suspends a human in flight and a computer sequenced virtual reality video system which simulate~~ various scenarios of a skydiver approaching the ground.
BACKGROUi~fD OF THE INVENTION
Known in the art of skydiving training are two types of vertical wind tunnels. The first type is an open air wind column which suspends the skydiver over the fan outlet. If the skydiver maneuvers out of the air column, then he falls violently to the ground. The second type of vertical wind tunnel is a fully enclosed cylinder having a screen type floor than supports a skydiver. The skydiver is enclosed in a cylindrical chamber out of which he cannot fall.
Whi7.e the chambers are known in the art, they have not been combined with an automated video system. The new combination described herein simulates the visual aspects of skydiving concurrently with the physical weightlessness aspects of skydiving. A programmable large screen video system is installed in a cylindrical chamber thereby presenting actual skydiving film scenarios to the suspended skydiver..

SDMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to provide a flight simulator for a skydiver.
Another object of the present invention is to provide programmable video sequences in the flight simulator to simulate both emergency situations and precision drill techniques.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide interactive simulation scenarios based on the io skydivers choice of actions during the simulation.
Other objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate i5 corresponding parts in the several views.
The present invention comprises a traditional vertical air column chamber. A closed cylinder has a fan system supporting a vertical column of air at about 120 mph. This vertical column of air can support a skydiver in a 2o weightless state inside the chamber. The physical phenomenon of the free fall aspect of skydiving is substantially simulated.
Inside the chamber a large screen video projection system covers at least 120° of the inside of the chamber.
25 The skydiver can suspend himself in front of the large screen. The large screen is then programmed to project the actual film footage of falling towards the earth. Thus, a virtual reality skydiving flight simulator is created.
WO 96/27866 PCT/US96l02986 Training can be accomplished by showing interactive chute f allure scenarios and many other aspects of a skydiving free fall.
BRIEF DE:iCRIPTION OF T8E DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 i:a a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the air chamber of t:he preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 having a skydiver suspended therein.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the air chamber of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a front perspective close-up view of the projection system shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 i;s a longitudinal sectional view of the air chamber of FIGS. 2, 3 showing a skydiver wearing a backup par;~chut:e simulator having a telemetry transmitter.
FIG. 6 (prior art) is a schematic of a commercially availab7_e video wall projection unit.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of one video sequence skydiver training scenario.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of ot=her embodiments. Also, the terminology used ~ herein is fo:r the purpose of description~and not of limitation.
a DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 1 a skydiving simulator 1 is comprised of a base 2 having a fan means 3 functioning to force air in direction I up into a vertical chamber 4. The air travels up inside the chamber 4 at about 120 mph, thereby supporting a skydiver in a weightless state as shown ' in FIGS. 2, 3, 5. The air exists out laterally in direction O from under the roof 8. A frame 7 supports the vertical chamber 4. The known video projection system 6 is shown in io more detail in FIG. 6. The skydiver enters the vertical chamber 4 through door 5. A control room 41 houses the video wall projection unit controls and the fan controls.
Referring next to FIG. 2 the vertical chamber 4 is seen to have an open air support floor 20 which allows the air to flow therethrough in the upward direction U. The skydiver 21 is supported in a weightless state by the air. The vertical chamber 4 has an inside wall 22. At least 120° of arc of the inside wall 22 is covered by a projection screen 23. The projection screen is nominally twelve feet in 2o height. The projection screen 23 projects moving scenarios of actual flight films as shown by scene 24. A video controller 55 in control room 41 (FIG. 2) can also programmatically simulate skydiving maneuvers.
Referring next to FIG. 3 the skydiver 21 is looking straight at the projection screen 23. Each projector 61 is approximately four feet wide and three feet high. Taken as a whole the multiple projectors 61 create a single image on screen 23 in a known manner. The glass panels 401 allow spectators to view the skydiver and screen from platform 402.
The skydiving simulator 1 as described above provides a virtual reality environment for the skydiver. The skydiver , is physically suspended in flight as in an actual skydive.
" Additionally, he is viewing real scenes of descending towards the earth.
FIG. 5 shows skydiver S having a backpack 50. The backpack 50 contains a telemetry transmitter 54 having known circuitry using radio, infra red, and the like. The telemetry transmitter 54 sends a unique signal to the receiver 56 for each of the following three skydiver sactions. First the skydiver pulls his ripcord 51 (signal A). If problems arise, then the skydiver S may pull either the breakaway handle 52 (signal C) or the reserve ripcord 53 (signal E3). A controller (not shown) selects the appropriate signal A, B, C for the telemetry transmitter 54 to send.
The telemetry receiver 56 transmits the signals) A, B, C to the interactive computer and video controller 55. The interactive computer and controller 55 responds to each signal A, B, C with a programmed scenario on screen 23.
One set of programmed scenarios is shown in FIG. 7.
Block 70 is the key. The scenario begins at START and block 71 shows the skydiver free-falling while the screen shows film footage of a skydive. Next, the skydiver pulls his ripcord as shown in block 72. Three conditions may be selectively displayed on the screen as shown in blocks 73, R'O 96/27866 PCT/US96/02986 74, 75. This selection is controlled by the interactive computer and controller 55. The skydiver can practice emergency scenarios as shown in blocks 76 - 88. Countless varieties of scenarios can be programmed on the projection system.
FIG. 6 shows a commercially available Toshiba° 16 Screen Video Wall Projection System. Software in the personal computer 600 provides flexible show control of all devices. The laser disc player 601 stores the filmed scenarios. The other known components of the system project the scenarios onto the screen.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS:
1. A skydiving simulator comprising:

a vertical chamber having an air column capable of supporting a skydiver in flight;

said vertical chamber further comprising an interior side wall surrounding the skydiver;

said interior side wall further comprising a video projection screen;

a video projection system projecting skydiving scenarios on the video projection screen, the video projection system comprising a telemetry receiver and a computer which receives signals from the telemetry receiver; and a backpack worn by the skydiver, said backpack comprising a telemetry transmitter functioning to transmit to the telemetry receiver and a ripcord simulator handle (A)- and a reserve chute simulator handle (B)and a breakaway simulator handle (C) and a control circuit which senses an activation of any simulator handle A, B, C and then activates a unique signal for each activation of A, B, C for the telemetry transmitter to send;

thereby creating a virtual reality environment for the skydiver.
2. The skydiving simulator of claim 1, wherein the computer further comprises a program responsive to the telemetry receiver and functioning to control the video projection system to play a plurality of predetermined film sequences in response to a plurality of incoming signals received by the telemetry receiver.
3. The skydiving simulator of claim 1 or 2, wherein the video projection screen further comprises a dimension covering at least 120° of arc of the interior side wall.
CA002213768A 1995-03-06 1996-03-01 Skydiving trainer windtunnel Expired - Fee Related CA2213768C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/398,754 US5655909A (en) 1995-03-06 1995-03-06 Skydiving trainer windtunnel
US08/398,754 1995-03-06
PCT/US1996/002986 WO1996027866A1 (en) 1995-03-06 1996-03-01 Skydiving trainer windtunnel

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2213768A1 CA2213768A1 (en) 1996-09-12
CA2213768C true CA2213768C (en) 2004-04-27

Family

ID=23576687

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002213768A Expired - Fee Related CA2213768C (en) 1995-03-06 1996-03-01 Skydiving trainer windtunnel

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US5655909A (en)
EP (1) EP0813728B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH11501736A (en)
KR (1) KR100253990B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE244914T1 (en)
AU (1) AU692703B2 (en)
CA (1) CA2213768C (en)
DE (1) DE69629020T2 (en)
DK (1) DK0813728T3 (en)
ES (1) ES2203687T3 (en)
WO (1) WO1996027866A1 (en)

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR19980702757A (en) 1998-08-05
US5655909A (en) 1997-08-12
MX9706674A (en) 1997-11-29
KR100253990B1 (en) 2000-04-15
ES2203687T3 (en) 2004-04-16
EP0813728A1 (en) 1997-12-29
DE69629020T2 (en) 2004-04-15
JPH11501736A (en) 1999-02-09
EP0813728B1 (en) 2003-07-09
AU692703B2 (en) 1998-06-11
CA2213768A1 (en) 1996-09-12
WO1996027866A1 (en) 1996-09-12
DK0813728T3 (en) 2003-09-29
DE69629020D1 (en) 2003-08-14
EP0813728A4 (en) 1998-12-02
AU5358196A (en) 1996-09-23
ATE244914T1 (en) 2003-07-15

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