A motion base, comprising: a. a lower plate; b. an upper plate, the lower plate and the upper plate separated by a distance defining a space between the lower plate and the upper plate; c. a plurality of lateral stabilizers disposed in-between and connected to the lower and upper plates (32,34), the plurality of lateral stabilizers configured to provide lateral and torsional stability between the lower and upper plates (32,34); d. a plurality of actuators, one of more of the actuators configured to attach to a load carrier, and wherein each actuator is operatively connected to the upper plate and the lower plate, each actuator comprising: i. a body operatively and movably connected to the upper plate with a joint which anchors the body to the upper plate and provides for some angular freedom of motion of the body with respect to the upper plate such that the body does not project into the space between the lower plate and the upper plate; ii. a rod movably disposed at least partially within the body, the rod comprising a proximal end disposed within the body and a distal end extending out from the body into the space between the lower plate and the upper plate, the distal end operatively connected to the lower plate, the rod and body defining an actuator effective length; and iii. a controllable rod extender operatively coupled to the proximal end of the rod and configured to selectively extend the rod out from and retract the rod into the body, effectively causing the actuator to dynamically change its effective length from a first predetermined length to a second predetermined length; and e. an active controller operatively in communication with the controllable rod extender and configured to selectively effect the extension of the rod out from and retraction of the rod into the body. a. a lower plate; b. an upper plate, the lower plate and the upper plate separated by a distance defining a space between the lower plate and the upper plate; c. a plurality of lateral stabilizers disposed in-between and connected to the lower and upper plates (32,34), the plurality of lateral stabilizers configured to provide lateral and torsional stability between the lower and upper plates (32,34); d. a plurality of actuators, one of more of the actuators configured to attach to a load carrier, and wherein each actuator is operatively connected to the upper plate and the lower plate, each actuator comprising: i. a body operatively and movably connected to the upper plate with a joint which anchors the body to the upper plate and provides for some angular freedom of motion of the body with respect to the upper plate such that the body does not project into the space between the lower plate and the upper plate; ii. a rod movably disposed at least partially within the body, the rod comprising a proximal end disposed within the body and a distal end extending out from the body into the space between the lower plate and the upper plate, the distal end operatively connected to the lower plate, the rod and body defining an actuator effective length; and iii. a controllable rod extender operatively coupled to the proximal end of the rod and configured to selectively extend the rod out from and retract the rod into the body, effectively causing the actuator to dynamically change its effective length from a first predetermined length to a second predetermined length; and i. a body operatively and movably connected to the upper plate with a joint which anchors the body to the upper plate and provides for some angular freedom of motion of the body with respect to the upper plate such that the body does not project into the space between the lower plate and the upper plate; ii. a rod movably disposed at least partially within the body, the rod comprising a proximal end disposed within the body and a distal end extending out from the body into the space between the lower plate and the upper plate, the distal end operatively connected to the lower plate, the rod and body defining an actuator effective length; and iii. a controllable rod extender operatively coupled to the proximal end of the rod and configured to selectively extend the rod out from and retract the rod into the body, effectively causing the actuator to dynamically change its effective length from a first predetermined length to a second predetermined length; and e. an active controller operatively in communication with the controllable rod extender and configured to selectively effect the extension of the rod out from and retraction of the rod into the body.