Force feedback joysticks are prized for creating a more realistic experience when used with software like flight sims. Sadly, you can’t say the same thing about using them with mech games, because mechs aren’t real. In any case, [zeroshot] whipped up their own stick from scratch for that added dose of realistic feedback in-game.
[zeroshot] designed a simple gimbal to allow the stick to move in two axes, relying primarily on 3D-printed components combined with a smattering of off-the-shelf bearings. For force feedback, an Arduino Micro uses via TMC2208 stepper drivers to control a pair of stepper motors, which can apply force to the stick in each axis via belt-driven pulleys. Meanwhile, the joystick’s position on each axis is tracked via magnetic encoders. The Arduino feeds this data to an attached computer by acting as a USB HID device.
We’ve seen some other great advanced joystick projects over years, too. Never underestimate how much a little haptic feedback can add to immersion.
Cool project, its quite complicated with force feedback. Do other joysticks (COTS ones, Logitech, thrustmaster etc) also have force feedback?
I’ve been thinking of making something like this for my little cousin. He’s really into aircraft sims.
They did, like 20 years ago. I think it’s a dead feature now.
I have a Microsoft joystick with force feedback.
It is my favorite joystick, but Star Wars Squadrons is the only game I play that actually has force feedback effects.
There are some pretty fresh force feedback joysticks and flight yokes out there now, coming in from the usual sim racing vendors. Yeah it’s expensive – FS related, I heard that Microsoft Flight Simulator had data for control surface forces (that is, the ailerons on the wing), but not for the human control levers. I’ve only flown small GA that are fully manual, but it seems easier to map than large aircraft with hydraulics, etc.
I’ve also heard of (but not tried) these force feedback joysticks acting as gated shifters for the sim (car) racing people. And flight sims too, DCS, etc.
Maybe less of a dead concept, more of something that’s time has come. Up until now, the visuals have been the real deal breaker for immersion.
I have an old gameport Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joystick, and built an usb adapter for it using adapt-ffb-joy (https://github.com/tloimu/adapt-ffb-joy/blob/wiki/README.md). The adapter already handles adding more analog inputs for additional axes, and I think it should be possible to implement a full HID compatible force feedback joystick directly in the AVR code, perhaps ripping away the MIDI conversion code to save some memory.
The unstable centering, and the deadzone that compensated for it, is what made me stop using that. Try putting a finger in the lightbeam and letting the handle go. Watch the stick dance.