• Juki@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Steering wheels are enormous because that allows fine grain control, which you need at higher speeds. Switching lane at 70mph requires only very slight movement but turning the car around in a street you can go full lock.

    A joystick would be fucking TERRIFYINGLY stupid lmao

    • filcuk@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      Some vehicles use steering by wire, which uses motors for i/o. This allows for steering sensitivity adjustments based on speed or even* preference.

      • Juki@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        True, but sensitivity is only half the story - the direct feedback of a wheel cannot be overstated

        • filcuk@lemmy.zip
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          1 year ago

          You’re right, but that should be part of the system.
          There is virtually no noticeable lag.
          The same technology is used by F1 vehicles, for example.

    • hglman@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Fundamentally a joystick is a device that gives input in 2 dimensions, while steering a car is a 1 dimensional input.

      • Programmer Belch@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 year ago

        Joysticks in remote controllers for toy helicopters are usually forced into one direction, you can just restrict one of the two dimensions

          • Programmer Belch@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            1 year ago

            While a wheel is more familiar to me, I don’t think it has many advantages over a speed modulated joystick, just make it as big as a hand so that you can have a hand for the joystick and lights and another for the gear stick, maybe put the control of the lights on the joystick if its more convenient

            • hglman@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              But cars move in an arc, the turning of the wheel is an extremely good analog for the cars movement. I really disagree and I submit that no one uses a joystick for sim racing, if it was better ppl would have latched on. You need the force feedback and control that comes with grasping a wheel and having the lever moment that a wheel gives. A joy stick has no mechanical advantage.

              • Programmer Belch@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                1 year ago

                That’s true but when I talk about a joystick, I was thinking more in the line of a big lever connected to where the turning wheel is, the problem I see is that the servos to give the analog feedback would have to be stronger. As there is no precedent, we can’t see if it would stick

    • bstix@feddit.dk
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      1 year ago

      No it’s not terribly stupid. Handicapped people already use other controllers without any issues.

      A steering wheel is already electronically adjusted for speed. The servo will work just as well regardless of the controller device.

      Along with lane assistance and other “self driving cars” it should be pretty evident that there is nothing dangerous about giving up the physical turny wheely kindergarten toy controller.

      • Juki@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        It’s not just about precision, it’s about feedback. Being directly connected with the steering linkage gives valuable feedback about the road and the front wheels - just because handicapped people have an alternative that they may use out of necessity does not mean it’s a better solution.

        In a fully autonomous car, sure perhaps a simple manual system as a backup makes sense but we aren’t there yet. You are talking absolute nonsense, and I can only assume you haven’t ever driven a vehicle.