Product design for Oplite, a French manufacturer of eSports equipment. A cockpit that can be adjusted in seconds, suitable for both children and adults. A world first.
Oplite est un fabricant français spécialisé dans les équipements pour la simulation automobile. Leur gamme couvre déjà les sièges, supports d’écran et périphériques haut de gamme destinés aux joueurs exigeants.
The brief we were given was minimalist: to create a racing simulation cockpit for children, compatible with all the steering wheels and pedals on the market, at an affordable price. SimRacing equipment dedicated to children: a niche market that no manufacturer had ventured into until then. Our first instinct was to complicate this brief a little, by adding a constraint: to find a concept that would adapt to all sizes, children and adults.
The problem of the size
Almost all existing SimRacing cockpits are designed for a standard-sized adult. Some offer adjustments, but they require tools, several minutes of handling, and remain unintuitive. The result: in a family practice, the cockpit is adjusted once for the adult and the children adapt as best they can.
The NitroKart was supposed to solve this problem fundamentally. Not by offering additional adjustment, but by integrating a quick extension and tightening mechanism that allows you to switch from a child to an adult template in a few seconds, without tools.
It is around this mechanism that the design was built. Every element of the structure, the position of the seat, the inclination of the steering wheel support, the height of the pedals, has been designed to be quickly adjustable, with a consistent logic from one adjustment to the next.
Ergonomics, compatibility, price accessibility
Three constraints had to hold together, which is not so common in this type of project.
Ergonomics first. A SimRacing cockpit is practiced over long sessions. The driving posture must be correct for an 8-year-old child as well as for an adult of 1.90 m. The multiple adjustment points (seat angle, longitudinal position, height and inclination of the steering wheel support) have been defined to allow a physiologically correct position over the entire target size range.
Secondly, compatibility. The market for steering wheels and pedals is fragmented between several manufacturers (Thrustmaster, Logitech, Fanatec among others), whose fasteners are not standardized. The NitroKart had to accommodate all these peripherals without a specific adapter. This constraint directly influenced the design of the mounting points.
Finally, affordability. Oplite wanted a top-of-the-range product in its category, but positioned for family use and not just for enthusiasts with an unlimited budget. The choice of materials and assembly was made with this constraint constantly in mind.
What the press said about it
Jeuxvideo.com, in his test of the NitroKart, concluded:
"A very nice achievement on the part of Oplite, which creates a cockpit that is affordable in terms of price but impressive in terms of its capabilities. Adults and children should find the pleasure of driving at the wheel. The comfort of use is very present, the adjustment from one player to another is fast enough, and the service is largely at the level of the price requested. This NitroKart is a real reference of its kind. »
NitroKart review, Jeuxvideo.com.
It is the most direct validation possible of a well-kept brief: speed of adjustment, comfort, performance at the price. The three objectives of the project are mentioned in the press report.