| Aura Systems Interactor Cushion by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson |
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Test System
The promise of Force Feedback is only beginning to be realized. Feedback has arrived in sticks, migrated to chairs, and will likely drift over to throttles. And even though three-speaker systems (L, R with sub-woofer) are catching on like wildfire, there haven't been any really creative touches for some time now. Enter Aura Systems. I heard a rumor not long ago about a force feedback vest, but it seems the idea was scrapped. However, I did touch base with John DeNovi of Aldrich and Associates, and John sent me their new Interactor Cushion. Aura Systems seem to manufacture just about everything related to sound. You can even buy individual speakers from this company! But this product is probably the single most promising gaming peripheral I have seen for months, and I LOVE it! OK, I confess I only had a brief Intensor chair experience, so I can't compare this cushion to the chair on the basis of experience. But I can speculate that if you already have a good sound system, the Intensor might be more than you need. However, for around $49 US (MSRP is $99) you could add the Interactor cushion, and it will be WELL worth your investment! See, the genius of the cushion is that you can use it wherever you go. It's easily portable for that up and coming LAN meet, and golly-gee Batman, you can even plug it into your home theatre system!
Falcon 4 screens. Yes, I've had some fun with this one! My first trials were in Falcon 4. I then graduated to European Air War, WW2 Fighters, and M1 Tank Platoon II. Next I fired up the Fighting Steel beta, and headed off to Need for Speed and Total Air War (oddly, the only game that didn't benefit much from the Interactor technology). Finally, I tried out some music CDs and then plugged the device into my stereo for a go at The Hunt for Red October.... The Thing Itself The cushion arrives in a large box, about 16x19x4. The device measures 17x13 and is 1 to 3 inches in thickness, being widest at the base and thinner toward the top. Construction looks good all around, and the cables are plenty long (I think the one that connects to your sound board may measure about twelve feet!). The power supply with this unit is a monster and does NOT have a power cord on the box, so you must plug the monster directly into your power bar. Bad idea, and still too common. I sure would like to see this change. Ah well. At 40W and 1.25A the cushion can almost blast you off your chair if you crank the volume. No kidding, it will surprise you! As noted, my first experience was in Falcon 4. Initially I was merely impressed. The rumble of the engine at 80% power could be felt through my body. I pushed up to full military power. The sensation was VERY nice. I kicked in the burner. WOW. My body was saturated with the feeling of power. Too cool, I thought. Suddenly I was in a flak field. My Viper was bouncing as the black explosions appeared. The sub-woofers in the cushion did their stuff, and my heart began to pound as I crossed that thin line that separates fantasy and reality. THIS was a great experience! Time to move along. I selected Logitech's Wingman Force in my Game Control panel, and loaded European Air War and chose the FW 190 G6. I loaded up an intercept mission and went out after some allied bombers. I fondly recalled the first time I ran EAW with a three speaker sub-woofer system and how impressed I had been by the sound quality and resonance. |
 WW2 Fighters. FW 190 in flames. This was more than twice as good! I could feel the engine vibes previously, if I cranked the sound up. Now I felt like I was actually sitting in the cockpit! I could easily tell the engine revs by vibration alone. AWESOME!! The combination of a force feedback device like the Wingman and the Interactor cushion is mind boggling and spine tingling. The difference is nothing short of spectacular. Whew. This was getting good. WW2 Fighters was a similar experience. M1 Tank Platoon II was also good, and firing the main cannon will give you a literal kick in the back.
Incidentally, I have to admit that the vibration feedback itself is quite pleasant. Engine vibration has a relaxing effect transmitted to your back, whether from an F16 or from a Spit Mk IX. However, the more sudden forces can be jarring, as one would expect. Because the pre-amp unit has it's own volume control, you can adjust the effect independently of your main sound volume. Nice!
 Enough of the sim experience. Music CDs also improve with force immersion. I fired up a few of my favorites for fun. After that run I tried both Hunt for Red October and Top Gun. Hehehehe! I even sat my wife down on the chair for her impressions. She is NOT a war movie freak, but I saw a smile spread across her face anyway... Yes, as one would expect, the movie experience is equally enhanced by this device. And obviously, the more hum of motors and explosions involved, the better! This device is taylor made to improve your experience of your favorite war movies and science fiction thrillers. If you happen to have a home theatre, you are going to want to purchase a half dozen of these things! SUMMARY Highly recommended. My only reservation is the power connection. This device is fantastic, giving all the benefits of a feedback chair like the Intensor for a fraction of the price. Cables are also supplied to allow direct connection to your VCR. We award the Interactor Cushion a Top Pick for outstanding performance.
 Ed.Note: We've learned that the cushion is no longer in production, but we have a line on some vests. Watch for a followup review, and send us a note if interested: Interactor Vest.
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