A LOW-COST FORCE FEEDBACK JOYSTICK AND ITS USE IN PC VIDEO GAMES

In this paper, we have developed a low-cost and compact force feedback joystick as a new user interface to communicate with a computer. We a dopted a DC-motor powered joystick to create the illusion of force to human hand. As applications in entertainment without modifying the sou rce code of PC video games, we intercept the interrupts reserved for m ouse, colormap and keyboard input and replace them with a new interrup t service routine in which force effects are added for the new PC vide o games. Effects such as hitting a wall, pushing a spring, reaction fo rce of firing a hand gun, and crash of a vehicle can be easily simulat ed, thus making haptic simulation readily available in virtual environ ments.