By Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director
When Dr. Mark Ombrellaro began developing the technology that would eventually fuel his TN Games products, the ability to portray warfare and racing were far from his focus. Rather, in dealing with a Texas geography where medical personnel were often far removed from their patients, he needed a way to do more than just see or hear them via web conferencing.
He had to invent a way to remotely enable a hands-on feel for the patient. Furthermore, this mechanism couldn’t be too expensive or too daunting, i.e. heavy for an elderly or extremely sick patient to accommodate. The result was a technology that uses hydraulics to sense and transmit appropriate pressure levels, and then translate what these levels mean in relation to bodily functions.
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Ombrellaro then saw how this unique application could enhance gaming. This has come to fruition in the form of TN Games’ Space HXT™ (head and extremities) gear, which includes:
- The G-Force/Racing (GFR™) vest to help players feel acceleration, braking and handling movements.
- An additional Shooter vest that allows players to feel bullet impacts.
- A helmet that simulates direct hits and near misses.
The heart of these products is a lightweight air bladder made of a plastic resin that is fed data from pressure sensors and a controlled air valve system in simulating the playing environment. The helmet and vests are connected to a 30-PSI air compressor, which is about the size of a fish tank aerator, that plugs into an electrical outlet, and uses a controlled valve system to cycle on and off according to the system’s pressure status. The compressor has been tested to last more than 1,500 hours. Each hit registers 10 lbs. of force.
The biggest obstacles in this nearly eight-year development cycle were:
- About 90 percent of the components ended up being custom-made.
- Setting pneumatics at the appropriate level, which turned out to be an art form that required an intense trial-and-error process.
- Constant testing to ensure as real of an experience as possible.
Although the current system is strictly PC-based via a USB connection, TN Games is working with other game developers to enhance compatibility. The system sells for $169 and comes with two unique games, although a special driver can be downloaded at
www.tngames.com for use with other platforms.
The company relied heavily on the use of ProE design software and Dimension prototyping machines.