[archiver]

Posted by Jerry Eckert.

Engineer from Looking for a team in Raleigh, NC sponsored by .

Posted on 1/11/2000 1:11 AM MST


In Reply to: I still go for 2 all the way posted by Lora Knepper on 1/10/2000 11:18 PM MST:



: Good point on the practice time issue, but I think it would be a huge sacrifice on accuracy and manuverability of the machine to be restricted to only one joystick. The only way I could justify it my mind would be if the second joystick was needed to control, say an arm for who knows what reason a button system would not suffice. But then, that's just the way I look at it.

I disagree with your assessment that accuracy and maneuverability are sacrificed by using a single joystick. The influence of the mechanical portion of the control system is only one factor in the overall performance of the robot. Certainly there are some cases where your statement is correct; there are others where it is not. The engineer's job is to attempt to identify all of the factors which have a significant impact on the performance of a system and to optimize them as much as possible given the overall constraints of the project.

In the end, what really matters is which mechanism is most effective for the drivers of a particular machine.

Last year, I modified one version of our control program to work with either one joystick or two. The operator could change modes by depressing a button while the robot was stopped. The operators, who had requested the two joystick steering, decided after less than 15 minutes that they preferred the single joystick. Given more time for control system development and operator practice, perhaps the outcome would have been different. But given all of the constraints *of our project*, the single joystick steering was the most effective.

Jerry