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Map input and output of a joystick

Hi all,

 

I'm relatively new to this forum and to LabView. In my final year at university, working on my main project. I am trying to create a simple maze game that is controlled by a joystick which also gives force feedback to the user via two geared motors, aimed at people trying to rehabilitate arms and hands after an accident or illness.

 

I have been able to map the inputs of the joystick (axis location and buttons presses) but I am really struggling to find any information on how to write back to the two motors in the joystick. I can't seem to find the outputs on LabView, or another program that would give me a clue. I have a couple of programs that test the feedback, and they are able to control the motors so I know they work and it is possible. Does anybody have any tips of advice as to how to find the correct outputs either inside LabView or with other software that would still relate to LabView?

 

Also, with regard to the maze, I want the feedback to be proportional to how close the user is to a wall, i.e. the closer they are, the greater the force feedback. I have seen maps made using LabView, but they all seem to be single-block pathways. Is there a way of using LabView to do this, or would it require a third party application? The only way I can think of would be to make a huge map with maybe 5-block pathways, or use Visual Basic or the like to make the map, and have LabView process the inputs and outputs separately.

 

Thanks in advance for any help,

 

Tom

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Tom, 

 

Very interesting project! My wife has problems with her hands due to multiple sclerosis, so I have a personal interest in this.

 

How do the motors communicate with those other programs? Just as the joystick outputs must be monitored through some kind of hardware to software interface device, so the motors will be controlled through a software to hardware interface. There are many ways to do this so trying to advise you without information is useless.

 

It should not be too hard to provide proportional feedback.  You could plot the maze on an XY graph or a Picture control.  Then you also plot the joystick positions on the same indicator. Some simple math should allow you to calculate the distance between plots which then becomes the input to your proportional feedback.

 

Lynn

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