[Al Skierkiewicz]

Steven,
The rule you quoted is for the robot controller interface as suggested above. The rules on OI wiring are these...
<R85> The Operator Interface Console designed by your team must fit on the 42” wide by 9” deep shelf in the Alliance Station and The Radio Modem connected to the Operator Interface must be able to reach the mounting bracket on the operator stations. Be sure to leave at least 48” of slack in the 9-pin cable.
And
5.7.2 Operator Interface Sensor Inputs
The exact wiring configuration for the joysticks, switches, potentiometers, LEDs, and analog sensors connected to the Operator Interface is not specified. Teams may wire these devices, within the rules as described below and according to the documentation supplied by Innovation First, in order to create a custom interface for the robot operators.
The second rule goes on to present examples and add a few more restrictions. The greatest of these is that the interface not use any power supply connections to the OI other than the LED outputs and sensor wiring as shown. That leaves a lot open to designing your own human interface. As always, check over the rules when the game is announced for further details, these rules may and often do change each year.