HangGlide!! is an interactive, full-scale, first person flight simulator, built for entertainment and training. Particpants experience flight and control that resembles closely that of a real hang-glider. By use of multiple, large, synchronized displays, HangGlide!! convincingly immerses the user in the virtual world.

Participants are given the task to land their hang-glider as close as possible to a bulls-eye target. For assistance, a second glider flies ahead of the participant's glider, leading the way. The experience teaches fundamental weight shift control skills as used by real hang-gliders, and glide management. Glide management involves choosing a flight path that takes into account the hang-glider's glide slope (amount of units of distance flown forward for every unit of descent), and choosing turn points that will put the pilot directly on the bulls-eye when it comes time to land.

The visual database is of an actual hang-gliding flying site named Ed Levin Park, in Milpitas, California. Take-off positions and landing site are the same positions on the terrain, complete with tree obstacles, fences and all visual cues of the actual flying site.

The flight dynamics model used to control the hang-glider is the result of years of development and research. At its base is a rigid-body dynamics package. Forces are applied to the rigid body which are derived from static load and stability testing data taken during glider certification processes. The hang-glider can be looped, if the pilot is skilled enough!

The flight simulator is designed primarily for high-traffic participation as would be found in a flight museum or location based entertainment venue. The unit has a single button control to initiate each participant's experience and can be left largely unattended. Flights last about 90 seconds with a 20 second interim stage, replaying the previous participant's landing and landing score, which allows time for the next participant in line to get in place for their flight.

HangGlide!! is driven by an Andes Computer Engineering AndesIG™ a single computer with four graphics outputs: one for a control console and the others for "out the window" graphics.

Configuration and control of the cluster is done through an easy-to-use graphical user interface on the master node's console. This interface provides for slave subsystem control, security access, camera offsets for individual slave video channel projectors, input device testing, and low-level system maintenance.

The participant is suspended in a rugged swing-seat, built by a hang-glider harness manufacturer, from a tripod built of 1.5 inch steel square tubing, which is bolted to the floor. Weight shift is accomplished by holding an 1 1/8" aluminum tubing control bar (the actual control bar found on real hang-gliders) and swinging forward and backward for pitch control, and side to side for roll control.

The suspension point is rated to 900 lbs static load and drives a BG systems, rugged joystick with hall effect technology, for long-lasting, low maintenance support. Joystick input is sampled at 60 hz and resulting data is sent to the flight model which is driven in software by a real-time frame scheduler running at 240 Hz to avoid flight dynamic equation divergence.

HangGlide!! comes with three 65 inch DLP TVs for displays for an immersive visual experience. DLP TVs allow for ease of installation, reduced maintenance, and a bright picture, even in well lit rooms. (Note the ambient lighting in the movie above).

Each unit comes with a one year limited warranty.

Contact Information

Inquiries for the Andes Computer Engineering HangGlide!! simulator can be directed to the contact information at:

http://www.andesengineering.com