JOY STICK DIGITAL DIRECTION AND RATE CONTROL UNIT

A joy stick type of manual control unit is provided for digitally positioning objects in the X-Y plane, and which is capable of controlling the direction and rate of the object in that plane by a single control and in one continuous movement. The control unit includes a joy stick type of handle which is mounted in a housing for universal pivotal movement. The joy stick handle is spring loaded to return to its central position when released. A pair of circuit boards is mounted in the housing adjacent one another, and a pair of sliders is sandwiched between the circuit boards for reciprocal rectilinear movement in a particular plane at right angles to one another. The sliders are mechanically coupled to the joy stick to be moved thereby past sets of brushes extending from the circuit boards, so that corresponding digital signals are generated corresponding to each different pivotal position of the joy stick.