A surgical instrument includes a housing, an elongate shaft assembly extending distally from the housing, and an articulation joint extending distally from the elongate shaft assembly. The articulation joint includes a proximal joint portion coupled to the elongate shaft assembly and a distal joint portion movably coupled to the proximal joint portion. The surgical instrument further includes an end effector including an anvil and a staple cartridge. At least one of the anvil and the staple cartridge is movable relative to the other one of the anvil and the staple cartridge to capture tissue therebetween. A first interface extends distally from the distal joint portion and the first interface is distal to the articulation joint. A second interface extends proximally from the end effector and the second interface is configured to releasably couple the end effector to the first interface.

A remote control device for a remotely controlled device including; a first input controller, including a grippable body which a user is able to apply a force and torque thereto with a first hand in order to be able to control yaw, pitch, roll and elevation of a remotely controlled vehicle; a second input controller enabling a user to control, with a second hand, a peripheral device associated with remotely controlled device; a communication device; and a controller, configured to: receive one or more first input and one or more second input signals from the first input controller and the second input controller respectively; and control the communication device for transmitting: a first output signal indicative of a first command based on the force and torque applied to the grippable body; and a second output signal indicative of a second command for controlling the peripheral device.

Provided is a multi-operating switch device for a vehicle, including: a housing unit; a substrate; a switch shaft unit; a rotary switch unit; a directional switch unit; and a push switch unit. The directional switch unit includes: a directional slide part within the housing unit; a directional switch disposed on the substrate, and configured to be operated by a change in the position of the directional slide part to generate a signal indicating the change in the position of the directional slide part; and a directional return part. The directional switch includes: a directional switch housing; and a directional switch knob partially exposed to the outside from one surface of the directional switch housing to contact with the directional slide part so that when the directional switch knob is pressedly rotated pivotally about an axis parallel with the substrate, it is received in the directional switch housing.

A multi-directional input device includes an operating member that protrudes from a case and can be tilted, a compression coil spring that returns the operating member to an initial state before a tilting operation, a magnet holding member that is relatively movable with respect to the operating member only in a direction along a protruding direction and is interlocked only in a tilting direction, a magnet arranged in the magnet holding portion, and magnetic sensors that are each disposed at a position facing the magnet and detect a movement of the magnet. The magnetic sensors are each disposed on a side of the magnet and can detect magnetic components in three axial directions orthogonal to one another.

A remote control includes a body, a first rocker device, a second rocker device, a processor, and a signal transmission device. The first rocker device and the second rocker device are installed on the body. The processor connects to the first rocker device, the second rocker device, and the signal transmission device. The first rocker device includes a joystick component. The second rocker device includes a second joystick component. When the first joystick component moves in parallel relative to the body, the processor generates a remote control instruction used to control a movable object to move in a horizontal plane. When the second joystick component moves straightly relative to the body along a first direction or a second direction, the processor generates a remote control instruction used to control the movable object to move upward or move downward in a vertical direction of the movable object.

An active inceptor apparatus and method for operating a machine. The apparatus comprises a stick member having a grip portion, the stick member being pivotably mounted relative to a housing. It further comprises a position sensor responsive to, and for generating signals indicative of, stick member position. A force sensor is provided on the stick member responsive to, and for generating signals indicative of, force applied to the stick by a user. The apparatus also includes a control unit operable to receive the position and force signals from the position and force sensors respectively. The control unit is operable to process the signals according to a predetermined relationship to determine a value FD indicative of force applied to the stick member relative to displacement of the stick member. The control unit is also operable to generate machine control signals as a function of position signals and force signals in dependence upon the value FD, for communication to the machine.

A joystick can include a shaft having an axis, a manipulating portion, and a sensing end with a magnet mounted thereto. The joystick can further include a movement mechanism configured to allow the manipulating portion of the shaft to be moved in three dimensions with respect to the axis of the shaft. The movement of the manipulating portion results in corresponding movement of the magnet that can be sensed in a non-contacting manner by a magnetic sensor positioned relative to the magnet.

A controller is capable of controlling an asset or target in physical and/or virtual three-dimensional space using a single hand by generating control inputs in four or more degrees of freedom while also limiting cross-coupling (unintended motions). The controller includes a first control member is configured to be gripped in a user's single, second control member is disposed on or near a top end of the first member movable with at least one degree of freedom independently of the movement of the first control member, and a third control member positioned on the first member for displacement by one or more digits of the user's single hand and coupled with the second member to move in opposition to movement of the second control member.

A direction input device includes an input portion, a base, a first slide portion, a second slide portion, a first slid surface, and a second slid surface. The first slide portion slides in a first direction with tilting of the input portion from an initial position in the first direction. The second slide portion slides in the second direction with tilting of the input portion from the initial position in the second direction. The first slide portion slides over the first slid surface as being pressed against the first slid surface from below. The first slid surface is in a shape curved convexly upward. The second slide portion slides over the second slid surface as being pressed against the second slid surface from below. The second slid surface is in a shape curved convexly upward.

A direction input device includes an input portion, a first slide portion, a second slide portion, a first slid surface, a second slid surface, and a slide biasing portion. The input portion includes an operated portion and a shaft. The first slide portion slides in a first direction. The first slide portion is provided with a first hole through which the shaft passes, the first hole extending in a second direction. The second slide portion slides in the second direction. The second slide portion is provided with a second hole through which the shaft passes, the second hole extending in the first direction. The first slid surface extends in the first direction and is in a shape curved convexly upward. The first slide portion slides over the first slid surface as the first slide portion abuts thereon from below.