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 manipulation device includes a rotary knob, a button and a waterproofing ring. The rotary knob rotatable about a rotational axis. The button having a center axis on the rotational axis of the rotary knob. The waterproofing ring that waterproofs a gap between the rotary knob and the button. The waterproofing ring rotating with the rotary knob, and the waterproofing ring being held in contact with the button and the rotary knob.

A cover for an articulation joint that is supported in an elongate shaft assembly of a surgical instrument that is operably coupled to a surgical end effector that includes at least one end effector conductor therein. The cover includes at least one electrically conductive pathway that extends from the distal end of the cover to form an electrically conductive pathway from the end effector conductor to a shaft conductor on the elongate shaft assembly while facilitating operation of the articulation joint. Various conductor arrangements facilitating the passage of electrical current between an end effector to a control system across the articulation joint are also disclosed.

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.

The disclosed embodiment is a control surface for use in a forest machine. The control surface includes a base panel, wherein the base panel comprises multiple buttons and/or switches to be used with an operators hand. A joystick protruding from the base panel. The joystick includes a handle part. The handle part has multiple buttons and/or switches to be used with an operator's hand. The handle part has a thumb button/switch to be used by an operator's thumb. The thumb button is adjustable in the height position in relation to the base.

A method and apparatus for providing force feedback to a user operating a human/computer interface device in conjunction with a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by a host computer system. A physical object, such as a joystick or a mouse, controls a graphical object, such as a cursor, within the GUI. The GUI allows the user to interface with operating system functions implemented by the computer system. A signal is output from the host computer to the interface device to apply a force sensation to the physical object using one or more actuators. This desired force sensation is associated with at least one of the graphical objects and operating system functions of the graphical user interface and is determined by a location of the cursor in the GUI with respect to targets that are associated with the graphical objects. The graphical objects include icons, windows, pull-down menus and menu items, scroll bars (sliders), and buttons. The force sensation assists the user to select a desired operating system function or physically informs the user of the graphical objects encountered by the cursor within the GUI. A microprocessor local to the interface apparatus and separate from the host computer can be used to control forces on the physical object.

A joystick controller is disclosed for controlling movement of a boom lift platform, the controller having actuators or the like that provide one or more forms of tactile feedback that are intuitively interpreted and adjusted by the user of the joystick motion control, the joystick being neutrally-biased to effect a null movement when the joystick is positioned in a neutral position, but also being adapted with at least one form of tactile feedback by which the joystick controller conveys information about the boom lift's operation to the joystick operator, such as through resistive force or through vibrations or the like.

In various forms, the modular motor control system may comprise one or more motor controllers each having an associated motor. The one or more motor controllers may be in communication with a master controller. The master controller is configured to provide control signals to the motor controllers to control the associated motors. In some forms, the one or more motor controllers and the associated motors may be located within a surgical module. The surgical module may provide a communications interface between the master controller and the one or more motor controllers.

A cover for an articulation joint that is supported in an elongate shaft assembly of a surgical instrument that is operably coupled to a surgical end effector that includes at least one end effector conductor therein. The cover includes at least one electrically conductive pathway that extends from the distal end of the cover to form an electrically conductive pathway from the end effector conductor to a shaft conductor on the elongate shaft assembly while facilitating operation of the articulation joint. Various conductor arrangements facilitating the passage of electrical current between an end effector to a control system across the articulation joint are also disclosed.

Provided is a multi-operating switch unit for vehicles including: a housing part; a substrate; a switch shaft part; a rotary switch part; a directional switch part; and a push switch part. The directional switch part has: a directional slide part in which the position thereof can vary in the housing part due to a tilting directional operation of the switch shaft part; a directional switch that is arranged on the substrate and is operated due to the positional variation of the directional slide part; and a directional return part that returns the directional slide part and the switch shaft part. The directional return part has a return plunger; a return elastic part; and a return groove. The return plunger can be movable in the axial length direction of the switch shaft part with respect to the housing part, and the return groove is formed in the directional slide part.