[GeeTwo]

I've read the novella several times, and thought about it a good bit. Using a full Waldo input device really only makes sense when the output simulates the human hand/arm (or other analogous limbs) to a reasonable degree. The human hand and wrist has at least 20 degrees of freedom, and FRC robots usually have somewhere between two (for a kitbot with a box) and the low teens (for the robot of a legendary powerhouse team with swerve drive and a couple of rather complex manipulators). Another feature of the true Waldo that cannot be simulated by most of the input glove devices presently available is the feedback pressure. A true Waldo would require at least thirteen analog feedback devices which would provide pressure to each finger tip, each finger inner joint, thumb opposition, wrist rotation, and wrist flex; about twenty would be even better. I believe that most competitive robots at the regional level have fewer than ten independent manipulators and no more than six sensors. Team 3946 has had as few as three independent manipulators (2015 Recycle Rush) to as many as eight (2012 Rebound Rumble: 3 drive (includes shift), 4 pickup/aim/shoot, 1 bridge; or 2013 Ultimate Ascent: 2 drive, 3 climb, 3 shooter*). None of our robots have had more than three truly "analog" manipulators; most of our manipulators are binary (on/off) or trinary (forward, off, reverse). Given this, a multi-button joystick, xBox controller, or the Wii controller seems to fit like a glove better than a glove.

* We had two shooter motors that ran at different speeds, but the first always ran at ~70% of the speed of the second, so I consider these two motors as one independent degree of freedom, especially as regards the driver controls, which simply allowed the driver to turn both on or both off.