4.2 Visualizing The Axes
This joystick controller has 6 axes which can be controlled by the rotation, or translation forces
applied by the hand gripping the controller. There are also 2 additional “slider” type axes
provided by the two throttle knobs for a total of 8 analog axes.
4.3 Getting The Feel For The Joystick
The six main axes, or “degrees of freedom” of the joystick are controlled with force and torque
applied to the joystick handle grip. The joystick uses force sensors, not motion sensors. The
joystick is on a 6DOF suspension so that it will move slightly when force is applied. This helps
the user intuitively feel the direction and magnitude of force that they're applying.
The center of rotation is in the middle of the joystick handle grip, rather than in a base-mounted
gimbal, which can be unusual to users of traditional joysticks. The software-calculated vertical
location of this center of rotation can be adjusted in the Sublight Settings program separately for
pitch and roll.
It is recommended that if arm fatigue is experienced, that the user practices feeling what the
maximum input value for a particular sensitivity setting is. This way the user is not putting too
much excess force into the controller. This can be accomplished by enabling the vibration
feedback setting in the settings program. In a traditional joystick, there would be hard physical
limits to the joystick motion. In the Sublight joystick, a very wide force range can be customized
