Flight Simulator Chair (GUGGS)

Background

For my senior capstone project, I was put with a team of 5 other members to design and build a flight simulator chair. Our "client" was Northeastern University's Mechanical Industrial Engineering Department. The eventual goal for the project was to allow the school's aerospace students to accompany their theoretical classroom learnings with physical flight simulation. In the span of 6 months, my team and I produced GUGGS, or the Grand Unified Gantry-Gimbal System.

Objective

• The purpose of the project was to design and build a mechanical system to simulate aircraft motion. 

• Requirements:

  • Receive output from software (flight simulator called X-Plane) and translate it into physical motion

  • Achieve ±25 degrees in pitch and roll

  • Accommodate for users up to 200 pounds with reasonable factor of safety

  • Allow for user interaction and display simulation view

Results

• The project successfully operated at Capstone Presentation Day. Multiple professors used the system, including a certified pilot. Deemed "feels accurate to the real thing."

• GUGGS won best project within Activate and Enable track.

• Idea midst of being patented. Project being transferred to the mechanical engineering department to flush out safety features and classroom implementation.

• I gained valuable skill in managing a large scale project, at times leading the project's timetable.