Motion base with controlled actuators

Abstract

A motion base comprises lower and upper plates, a plurality of lateral stabilizers coupled in-between and connected to the lower and upper plates, a plurality of actuators, and one or more associated active controllers. Actuators typically comprise a body operatively connected to the upper plate and the lower plate, a rod movably disposed at least partially within the body, where the rod and body define an actuator effective length; and a controllable rod extender configured to selectively extend the rod out from and retract the rod into the body. After determining a desired parameter such as length and an actual parameter such as length, velocity, acceleration, impulse, force, or the like, or a combination thereof for each of the plurality of actuators, a control signal is sent to each controllable rod extender as needed to change the current effective state of that parameter of each actuator by moving each such actuator's extendable rod into or out from each such actuator's body such that the current parameter for each of the plurality of actuators matches the desired parameter for that actuator.