The LightStick® / Optical Joystick is a new technology by CTI Electronics, it's a leap forward in the evolution of man-machine interface control. The current joystick technology being used today such as potentiometer joysticks, hall effect joystick, and inductive joysticks have flaws or disadvantages. Most electronic joystick technologies have a work-around to the disadvantages but will add additional time and material costs to its application. The LightStick® / Optical Joystick technology offers two key advantages over potentiometer, hall effect, and inductive joystick technologies. First, the Optical Joystick would have virtually zero susceptibility to Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) signals. Secondly, the Optical Joystick has no susceptibility to high vibration motion or movement.
CTI's custom optical joysticks are ruggedized to meet aerospace, medical, and military standards. CTI's optical joysticks can meet MIL-STD-167-1, MIL-STD-901D, MIL-STD-461F, MIL-STD-810G, and MIL-HDBK-217F. These optical joysticks are able to withstand vibration, shock, high EMI/RFI levels, compliant for humidity, fungus, spray, and MTBF is greater than 100,000 hours.