WHEN there’s a demanding job to be done, there’s a high chance you’ll find a joystick.
In mining trucks, cranes, forestry equipment, and planes - any environment where a large object needs to be controlled - joysticks use electrical circuitry to make a small amount of force go a very long way.

There are various stories about when the joystick first appeared - but it was thought that Robert Esnault-Pelterie, a French pilot, was the first to use it.
There’s also the version where pilot A. E. George, who flew a biplane in 1910 in Newcastle, invented the ‘George Stick’ which eventually became the joystick.
Let's not leave out Missouri pilot and inventor, James Henry Joyce, who may have given his name to the ‘Joyce Stick’.

We’ll never know which story is true, probably. But we do know that the joystick has developed a lot since the early 1900s. The Germans invented their own in around 1944, to use as missile control in bomber aircraft.

By the 1960s, a far less deadly form of aircraft were making use of the technology - radio-controlled model aircraft. The next to take them up for their precision were the designers of powered wheelchairs, and NASA used joysticks on the lunar lander test models as part of the Apollo missions.
Meanwhile, in heavy industry, the joystick grew up to be tough. Hall effect technology can function over a high cycle life and is immune to dust, dirt, mud, and water when appropriately sealed.

It’s also a contactless technology - so low on wear - and quite simple to assemble due to being made of few components.  The simple construction means Hall effect joysticks are perfect for embedded use in compact environments - such as remote controls or vehicle control panels - which are prone to shocks and vibrations. 
And they also offer extreme ruggedness and long life for an excellent quality/price ratio.

Ruffy’s HE2 series, for example, has a five million cycle life, and has been designed specifically for harsh environments such as marine use, heavy industry, and ‘belly box’ crane controls, where equipment needs to withstand incredibly heavy use.

Sealed to a minimum of IP67, it is made with a robust stainless steel shaft, and a brass gimbal (pivoted support) which can stand up to very high input forces. It can be operated in temperatures from -40°C to 85°C.

As with all Nexus products, it can be fully customised with a choice of mounting options, handles & limiters & varied outputs. Electrical output options include factory pre-programmed Analog, USB HID 1.1 or Cursor Control. Each unit is supplied with mounting hardware and electrical cable.
You can view the HE2 series here - http://nexuscomponents.co.uk/Search/?q=HE2

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash