Joysticks club 2014

[Kevin Phan]

I know that the lead mentor on my team loves joysticks, but every student on the team wants a gamepad. Every time during build season when I ask what are we using, when I'm programming controls, a whole argument ensues and I'm caught in the middle of it, because I don't care.

[JohnFogarty]

How many modern games outside of flight simulators use those giant joysticks anymore anyway?

[Aroki]

Originally Posted by JohnFogarty

How many modern games outside of flight simulators use those giant joysticks anymore anyway?

Doesn't matter! After all, our robot can fly

[Whippet]

We've got two joysticks: an XYZ for our driver and an XY for our operator. Field-oriented drive with the three-axis is so simple, we'll probably never use anything else with a holonomic drive.

[tcjinaz]

Originally Posted by Kevin Phan

I know that the lead mentor on my team loves joysticks, but every student on the team wants a gamepad. Every time during build season when I ask what are we using, when I'm programming controls, a whole argument ensues and I'm caught in the middle of it, because I don't care.

That's a switch from our team. As the software mentor, I was looking to expand horizons and brought in a Logitech GamePad. The kids were confused about where we were going. I pointed out we would let the drive team decide what worked best for them. More puzzled looks; we can decide? (yes, a basic real world mentor moment; the pointy end of the stick gets to pick their weapons) My lead software engineer (he earned that title) had the 'bot set up for both. He was also the manipulator driver, and that task was the one that had the choice between a joystick and gamepad (he chose the latter).

We are contemplating testing the theory the one driver can effectively control the robot with one hand using a SpaceMouse.

[dubiousSwain]

Our team considered a Leap Motion at one point, but realized its accuracy and precision paled in comparison to the mighty joystick!