Quote:
Originally Posted by john70t
One car, one track, in a bloated world of driving sims.
Still that looked pretty impressive from a visual perspective. What's happening on the screen makes sense.
A few unwarranted observations (please forgive the directness):
-Would it be better to license the specific feedback Node/WhateverTheTerminology to existing brand name driving sims? I'm surprised this hasn't gotten their attention yet. You have something that works better specifically. But vehicle and track modelling would be an expensive uphill battle to recreate what already exists in so many forms. Most 'video game' consumers are using console thumb controls and aren't capable of noticing a difference between a 14lb and a 18lb road bike.
-How about licensing to the wheel mftr themselves for their own integrated software? Companies can be completely closed-minded to even considering disruptive technology when their own sales are going strong. It sometimes takes competing sales and online presence to get them to notice. Yours is a noteworthy start. Partnering with known names for R&D furthers this.
-You don't have to build a new tv to play your movie. My dad created a viable employee feedback training platform,back in the early days of computing, but was bogged down on making a portable hardware machine to run it. While everyone was buying their own home machines. And getting company HR to notice him. And establishing some sort to IP to defend his system from easily being copied. Defending the I/O calculations might be difficult in terms of infringement.
-There isn't comparative testimony from the testers on good/bad experience. That is probably proprietary but noticeably missing.
-Viewers watch the video of fast driving(in a mostly straight line) and probably think the clouds are too basic, or lack of trees and other cars, or some other basic criticism. A video doesn't transfer the actual steering responses and sensation. Some sort of wild thrash with extreme driving might better demonstrate your software capability, or it might give away the huddle signals. IDK. Just a layman observer here.
-Which steering wheels are compatible would be a major question by all.
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Thanks for the reply.
"...in a bloated world of driving sims."
Every driving sim on the marked uses "force feedback," which is a technology developed in the 1990s for arcade games. We have an entire new simulation platform, which we patented, that was built for DARPA and ADAS (in other words, our software is military grade for industry use and accurate enough that automakers can teach autonomous vehicles how to drive with humans on board). It's not a game.
Hardware manufacturers (e.g., Logitech) typically use firmware that further distorts the "force feeback" the industry uses. (Imagine walking into a Porsche dealer with your own power steering unit before a test drive, and insisting they install it, because you don't like the way the automaker tuned the vehicle.) The hardware should not define the driving experience — we want a pure signal to our software.
There's a ton more to it, but long story short we can't use licensed vehicles as automakers won't allow their vehicles to accurately replicate damage (does Porsche want the world to know that hitting a curb at 43 mph in a 991 does more damage than hitting the identical curb in a E46?). So, we had to build our own environment, and our own vehicle from scratch.
The cockpit presentation is intentionally restrained, with no artificial hands, floating steering wheels, or head-up overlays. Visual motion reflects how a helmeted driver experiences speed and cornering forces, reinforcing the connection between steering input and vehicle behavior.
We brought on Justin Bell (and a handful of other professional drivers) to "tune" the vehicle. It drives like a real car. There are infinite lines around the circuit, you can bang over curbs, understeer, oversteer... break things.
Anyway, we aren't trying to dethrone iRacing or any of the other titles. XP1 is a new and very unque approach to driving simulation, and we think it makes a great tool for those who want to practice their skills. We do need to add more features, which is why we are asking for input from enthusiasts.
~ Mike
P.S. —*As of today, we are compatible with Logitech • Pro Racing Wheel DD • RS50 DD • G923 • G920 • G29 Fanatec • Podium DD, DD1, DD2 • Clubsport DD, DD+ • CSL DD. We are working on more...