Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Exercise is for the birds III

Counterbalance weight and let people fly (helium not required)
  (+3)
(+3)
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This large enclosed arena would have steel hydraulic rods hanging from the ceiling. Without input the rods would precisely counter the weight of the users, who would be strapped to them. Users would have wings. The rods would be connected to a flight computer and allow the users to fly about based on predetermined settings for simulated air density and weight.

The advanced version adds several mechanically actuated hinges and telescoping sub-rods, allowing fliers to fly precisely above and below each-other, rapidly moving to keep the flier in the appropriate place and avoid getting tangled.

Rods would be attached at the top to independently moving actuators. Possibilities include magnets, ball joints, and gear assemblies.

Edit: The idea is that the rods are all telescoping and attached vertically, each to the ceiling on its own vehicle. By "counterbalance" I mean the rods would pull up with precisely enough force to counteract the user's weight.

Voice, Jan 24 2020

Exercise Is For The Birds II Exercise_20Is_20For_20The_20Birds_20II
[Skewed, Jan 25 2020]

So something like this,but sexier & with wings. https://en.wikipedi...i/Steelyard_balance
[Skewed, Jan 26 2020]

Counterbalance https://www.merriam...nary/counterbalance
[Voice, Jan 26 2020]

Exercise Is For The Birds Exercise_20Is_20For_20The_20Birds
[Skewed, Aug 28 2021]

Counterbalance World Counterbalance_20World
Prior art? [Skewed, Aug 28 2021]

The WEIGHTLESS Machine https://www.youtube...watch?v=gSDtNkKPiDg
Warning: ad stuck in the middle of the video [Voice, Apr 27 2023]

NASA has been doing this for decades https://technology..../patent/MSC-TOPS-60
[a1, Apr 28 2023]

[link]






       No tangles, if movement at ceiling is free in x and y and z made from two extending rods with a joint. Movement at ceiling could be a rover strongly magnetised vertically but weakly in ceiling plane.The jointed rod would have a number of possibilities per z coordinate. No counterweights.   

       In my mind, I can't see the difference from being hung from the ceiling and hung from a poled counterweight.
wjt, Jan 24 2020
  

       No rockets, then ?   

       Not even gas turbines ... ?
8th of 7, Jan 24 2020
  

       //I can't see the difference from being hung from the ceiling and hung from a poled counterweight//   

       The seesaw counterweight lets you go up & down, hanging from the ceiling doesn't it?   

       Or haven't I understood what you've said?
Skewed, Jan 25 2020
  

       Being hung from a seesaw counterweight mechanism or from a computer controlled extendable rod is the same. One z controlled vector. On the other hand flight or floating is a sum of a myriad of tiny up z vectors.
wjt, Jan 25 2020
  

       Ah! a rope, pulley & weight.   

       Didn't exactly get you were also using counterweights [wjt].
Skewed, Jan 25 2020
  

       Not exactly "Free flight" is it ?   

       And we're not just complaining about the cost of using the service, either.
8th of 7, Jan 25 2020
  

       //Not exactly "Free flight"//   

       You could go up down & around in a fixed circle about the fulcrum with this method I think?   

       Having difficulty visualising any other direction of flight.   

       If the fulcrum is at the midpoint up on a vertical pole or rod seated in rails top & bottom so it can roll back & forth the length of the stadium that would allow more freedom of direction but that still leaves some serious limitations on the directions you can fly.   

       On balance I still like it though, even limited it's still a neat idea [+].
Skewed, Jan 25 2020
  

       Hmm. or have I missed a bit, is the counterbalanced 'lever' you're suspended from supposed to be telescoping?   

       That would allow free movement anywhere within the arena.
Skewed, Jan 25 2020
  

       <Considers mental image of [Skewed] dangling helplessly from the end of a very long counterbalanced pole in the middle of Wembley Stadium, inefectually waving arms and legs/>   

       Wait, maybe this isn't such a bad idea after all ...
8th of 7, Jan 25 2020
  

       I knew you'd come around eventually ;p
Skewed, Jan 25 2020
  

       Actually, we're waiting for you to come around, or at least get a little bit closer.   

       <Conceals pistol crossbow under chair, smiles reassuringly/>
8th of 7, Jan 25 2020
  

       The summary says counterweight.   

       Being hung from a robotic arm doesn't need a fulcrum counterweight either.The robotic arm just needs a joint and extending sections to allow flyers to fly over each other.   

       flyer at 8 units from ceiling uses 3, 6.06 extensions, flyer at 4 units , uses 2, 2.409 with angles at joint 120, 130 respectively.   

       One person at a time could be done with those stadium flyover cameras.
wjt, Jan 26 2020
  

       Being semi-serious (after a fashion) for a moment.   

       So in essence something like this [linky] but with a person with a pair of strap on wings dangling from one end.   

       I can actually see even a simple version of this (without the extendible lever) making an excellent fairground or kids amusement park experience.
Skewed, Jan 26 2020
  

       //The summary says counterweight// No it doesn't, it uses "counter" as a verb
Voice, Jan 26 2020
  

       //So in essence something like this [linky] but with a person with a pair of strap on wings dangling from one end. //   

       If you want to make it simpler, sure (except with the rod being extendible so the user can freely go anywhere to the physical limit of the arm length, and with an extra motor or three to allow multiple users not to get tangled) but what's the fun in making it simpler?
Voice, Jan 26 2020
  

       Ahem,   

       Counterbalance n. A weight that acts to balance another; a counterpoise or counterweight.   

       Nice idea. Anything for freedom in the altitude dimension.
wjt, Jan 26 2020
  

       //If you want to make it simpler//   

       For fairs or amusement parks? for kids? they find a bouncy castle exciting so I should think simple will be just fine.
Skewed, Jan 26 2020
  

       transitive verb
1 : to oppose or balance with an equal weight or force
2 : to equip with counterbalances
Voice, Jan 26 2020
  

       All right, apologies, the floor is counterbalancing my weight. The strict definition.   

       So [Skewed]'s lever is a mechanism of counterbalance using balance. The idea is more like aircraft flight simulator mechanics but upside down.
wjt, Jan 26 2020
  

       DIBS!   

       I called dibs.   

       Went to bun this, already had. [+]
doctorremulac3, Apr 27 2023
  
      
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