A joystick comprises an articulation comprising bearing faces that are shaped to permit, via shape-shape interaction when they rub against each other, a rotational movement of a handle. A first set of springs exerts, on the handle, a first vertical force that pushes the bearing faces against each other. A second set of springs exerts, on the handle, a second vertical force in the opposite direction to the first vertical force and the amplitude of which is between 0.9|F.sub.1| and 1.1|F.sub.1|, wherein |F.sub.1| is the amplitude of the first vertical force. The first and second sets of springs are able, in the absence of external stress on the handle, to maintain a non-zero clearance between all the bearing faces of the articulation.

A finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction is provided. The finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction includes a main housing having a bottom case and an upper cover; a support frame having a fixed end fixedly to an end of the bottom case; a movable sphere disposed on a receiving ring; a joystick body fixed on the movable sphere; an elastic piston piece having a connecting rod inserted through a piston groove, an elastic disc fixed below the connecting rod, a return spring fixed between the movable sphere and the elastic disc, and a magnet correspondingly fixed to the elastic disk; and a magnetic induction element disposed below the magnet.

A joystick includes a casing, a stick body, an identification mark and an optical sensor. The casing has a hole. The stick body is movably disposed on the casing. The stick body has a first section and a second section. The first section penetrates through the hole to protrude from the casing, and the second section is inside the casing. The identification mark is disposed on the second section of the stick body. The identification includes a first line group and a second line group crossed to each other. The first line group and the second line group respectively has a plurality of lines with different widths and arranged adjacent to each other. The optical sensor is disposed inside the casing and adapted to acquire an identification image containing the identification mark to determine a gesture of the stick body.

A joystick has a lever and a housing. The lever is pivotable around a pivot axis. The joystick has a support plate carrying at least one sensor. The sensor has at least one coil generating a magnetic field. An eddy current is induced into the coil. At least one metal flag is movable relative to the coil. The motion of the metal flag coincides with the tilting motion of the lever.

A control device for a human-machine interface includes a base and a moveable member in the form of a lever or a push element, which can be moved relative to the base. The control device further includes at least one electroactive element positioned between the moveable member and a fixed element of the base.

A reading device is for reading a positional relationship between a first component and a second component. The first component has an optical sensor and the second component has a collimator configured for directing a light beam at the optical sensor. A method is for reading a positional relationship between two components, the method including passing light through a collimator in a first component towards an optical sensor in a second component, reading the position of the light beam from the collimator on the optical sensor, and calculating the positional relationship between the first and second components from the position of the light beam on the optical sensor.

An image identification method is used to eliminate accumulated error of operation of a joystick. The joystick has an optical sensor adapted to analyze a movement of a plurality of identification dots disposed on a stick body. The image identification method includes receiving a series of detection images, setting a first identification dot of the plurality of identification dots as being a reference identification dot, and setting a second identification dot of the plurality of identification dos as being the reference identification dot and cancelling the first identification dot as being the reference identification dot when the first identification dot is near a border of the detection image. A position change of the reference identification dot in the series of detection images is used for identifying a control status of the joystick.

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.

Embodiments of a work vehicle magnetorheological fluid (MRF) joystick system include a joystick device, an MRF joystick resistance mechanism, a controller architecture, and a work vehicle sensor configured to provide sensor data indicative of an operational parameter pertaining to work vehicle. The MRF joystick resistance mechanism is controllable to vary an MRF resistance force resisting movement of a joystick included in the joystick device relative to a base housing thereof. The controller architecture is configured to: (i) monitor for variations in the operational parameter utilizing the sensor data; and (ii) provide tactile feedback through the joystick device indicative of the operational parameter by selectively commanding the MRF joystick resistance mechanism to adjust the MRF resistance force impeding joystick movement based, at least in part, on variations in the operational parameter.

In embodiments, a work vehicle magnetorheological fluid (MRF) joystick system includes a joystick device, an MRF joystick resistance mechanism, a controller architecture, and an implement tracking data source configured to track movement of the implement during operation of the work vehicle. The joystick device includes, in turn, a base housing, a joystick, and a joystick position sensor. The MRF joystick resistance mechanism is controllable to vary an MRF resistance force impeding joystick movement relative to the base housing. The controller architecture is configured to: (i) track movement of the implement relative to a virtual boundary utilizing data provided by the implement tracking data source; and (ii) command the MRF joystick resistance mechanism to vary the MRF resistance force based, at least in part, on implement movement relative to the virtual boundary.