Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!mintaka!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!milton!motcsd!greek!lance@uunet.UU.NET
From: motcsd!greek!lance@uunet.UU.NET
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Hand-held input devices
Message-ID: <9318@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 9 Oct 90 20:50:16 GMT
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Approved: hitl@hardy.u.washington.edu



I picked up a Sega Game Master controller the other day and couldn't figure
out how to use it.  It's shaped like a kidney bean crescent and has a circular
rocker at one end and three buttons marching up and right at the other.
Later I saw an ad showing a kid holding it with both hands, working the
rocker with the left and the three buttons with the right.  How retro!
I was assuming that I was supposed to use it with one hand, like a mouse.

I'm thinking a pistol grip with the rocker under your thumb, so you move
your thumb around like you're thumb-wrestling.  Then, as you move the
gizmo around in space, the tilt and motion are reported via simple 
acceleration sensors (pots connected to damped weights?) and voila:
5 dimensions, 4 buttons.

Lance