Using haptic feedback joysticks to fly drones

A new joystick developed by startup MotionPilot lets users fly drones with just one hand in a fun, intuitive way. One version of this device includes a haptic feedback mechanism that gives users a sense of the drone's position as it moves through the air. Drone aficionados were recently impressed by a prototype, and the device could hit the market soon. Drones are already used in a wide range of applications, such as monitoring crops, taking camera shots, racing, and, of course, just having fun. But the method for flying them hasn't changed much in the 50 years since drones were invented - they all basically involve a handheld control device or, more recently, a smartphone app. Users press one button to adjust the drone's altitude and direction, and another to tilt it along either of two axes. However, using such a system to take off, stabilize and land a drone is harder than it looks. "We found that people need a few hours to get the hang of standard systems for flying drones," says Timothée Peter, one of MotionPilot's four founders. The joystick was designed by Peter and his business partners, who are all in the last year of their Master's degree in Microengineering at EPFL. It is a seamless, intuitive control device that fits neatly into a single hand - users simply have to lean it forward or sideways to guide the drone. And a trigger on the handle can be used to change the drone's altitude. "It's so simple that even beginners can start having fun right away," says Julien Perroud, a seasoned drone pilot and member of the Aéropoly committee, an association that promotes aeronautic sports on campus. Three modes, each corresponding to a different ability level