Many motorized systems, used as aids for strenuous and wearing activities, require a suitable control peripheral. The most commonly used interface, the joystick, is poorly suited in cases where the base of the joystick moves relative to the user using it. To solve this problem, a control interface was developed based on reading the forces applied by the operator to a sensitive area of the device.

Technological development in recent decades has led to the spread of many motorized systems, e.g., motorized carts, lifts, and wheelchairs. These devices must have an appropriate control peripheral that allows users to control the system. The proposed solution addresses the limitations of existing solutions by proposing a control interface based on reading the forces that the operator applies to a sensitive area of the device.

The proposed technology makes it possible to control motorized devices up to three degrees of freedom using only single-axis load cells, which are much cheaper and more readily available than the multi-axis load cells used of other known solutions. The minimum number of required sensors is also used, and system safety is increased through sensors designed to sense whether the user is correctly gripping the handle.

• Motorized wheelchairs
• Motorized hospital beds
• Motorized platform in industrial and non-industrial settings
• Electric lifts

• Cost-effectiveness and availability of components
• Easy to use
• Ability to be easily adapted for use on different systems and by different users
• Safe to use