Best Tools for a Young Team Control Panel?

[An Outlier]

Hello!

I am a student from a second year team, and as an off-season task I would like to practice putting together a Operator Console / Control Panel, (sorta like this) the hope being that if this goes well, my team will develop another for next year's game, and control our robot with something more than a pair of joysticks or gamepads, and an unreliable SmartDashboard

My question is this: What microcontroller, arduino, or other method would be best suited, given the below criteria?

Simplicity- We are a young team with little experience in this field. Little/simple programming and wiring preferred.

Reliability- Though this will start as an off-season challenge, a similar system (if successful) would be used for the official competition. Well manufactured and not-gonna-cut-out-in-the-middle-of-a-match would be good.

Durability- FRC is rough on mechanisms. Though the core would be protected, and though we plan not on dropping our station, mild impact tolerance is a plus.

Capability- Ideally, we would be able to have a half-dozen assorted buttons, a knob for autonomous selection, maybe a toggle switch, and a few indicator lights. Nothing too complicated.

Documentation- Preferably, a popular tool that we could get help with if needed.

I realise no one product might fulfill all these, but if you know something that comes close, I would greatly appreciate your advice.

Have a swell day!