A motion platform comprising a base portion and an occupant carrier portion, said occupant carrier portion being linearly moveable along first, second, and third axes that are orthogonal to one another, and rotationally moveable about said first, second, and third axes, wherein:
- the base portion comprises first, second, and third control pillars each extending substantially along the third axis, each of said control pillars being moveable, independently, in directions of the first and second axes in a plane defined by the first and second axes, wherein the control pillars are mechanically constrained such that they move only in said plane;
- the base portion comprises an X-Y table portion, wherein the X-Y table portion is arranged to provide independent in-plane movement of the first, second, and third control pillars along a respective first direction and a respective second direction, said first and second directions defining a plane normal to the third axis;
- the X-Y table portion comprises first, second, and third X-Y tables, each of said X-Y tables comprising respective first and second slide rails, said slide rails being slidably moveable relative to one another, wherein the first, second, and third control pillars are mounted on the first, second, and third X-Y tables respectively such that a sliding movement of the first slide rail moves the corresponding control pillar along the first direction and such that a sliding movement of the second slide rail moves the corresponding control pillar along the second direction, wherein each X-Y table respectively comprises a first carriage and a second carriage, said first and second carriages being arranged in a stack,
- the first carriage comprises the respective control pillar and one or more bearings that move along the first direction with respect to the second carriage, the first carriage comprises a first motor arranged to drive motion of the first carriage along the first direction, the second carriage comprises one or more bearings that move along the second direction with respect to a base of the X-Y table, the second carriage comprises a second motor arranged to drive motion of the second carriage along the second direction, the second carriage comprises one or more bearing rails aligned along the first direction, the bearings of the first carriage engage with the one or more bearing rails of the second carriage, the base of the X-Y table comprises one or more further bearing rails aligned along the second direction, and the bearings of the second carriage engage with the one or more bearing rails of the base;
- the occupant carrier portion comprises first, second, and third guide portions, said first, second, and third guide portions being pivotally connected to the first, second, and third control pillars respectively by a respective coupling member;
- the first, second, and third guide portions are each angled with respect to the plane defined by the first and second axes such that said guide portions are not parallel to said plane;
- the first, second, and third guide portions are angled with respect to each other such that each guide portion is not parallel with the other guide portions;
- the guide portions constrain motion of the respective coupling members therealong;
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- said motion platform is arranged such that, in use, the first, second, and third control pillars each have a respective height of a predetermined value along the third axis.