Abstract In fluid–structure interaction studies, such as vortex-induced vibration, one needs to select essential parameters for the system, such as mass, spring stiffness, and damping. Normally, these parameters are set physically by the mechanical arrangement. However, our approach utilizes a combination of a physical system, comprises a fluid and a mechanical actuator, and a cyber system, taking the form of a computer-based force-feedback controller. This arrangement allows us to impose mass–spring–damping parameters in virtual space and in up to six degrees of freedom. [A similar concept, in one degree of freedom, was pioneered by a group at MIT (see Hover et al., 1998 ), in studies of vortex-induced vibration of cables.] Although the use of a cyber-physical system has clear advantages over using a purely physical experiment, there are serious challenges to overcome in the design of the governing control system. Our controller, based on a discretization of Newton's laws, makes it straightforward to add and modify any kind of nonlinear, time-varying, or directional force: it is virtually specified but imposed on a physical object. We implement this idea in both a first-generation and a second-generation facility. In this paper, we present preliminary applications of this approach in flow–structure interactions.