Tech Briefs Magazine - June 2021 - 64

SPINOFF
cott Parazynski's 17 years of
experience as an astronaut and
spacewalker helped inspire a joystick
that puts all the primary drone
fight controls into a single hand
and will one day, he hopes, revolutionize
robotic surgery.
S
Moving through zero gravity
allowed maneuvering that isn't
possible when gravity is a factor:
you can manipulate your direction
not just moving back and forth,
sideways, and up and down but
through rotations (pitch, yaw, and
roll). He spent hours training in a
virtual trainer getting ready for
flight, using the translational hand
controller and rotational hand
controller for the robotic arm and
simulator.
Parazynski took all the experience
he had with astronaut robotics
controllers as well as aircraft joysticks
into his next venture as an
entrepreneur. But it was his experience
as a physician that first gave
him the idea. After he retired from
NASA, Parazynski took a position as
the chief technology officer at a
hospital in Houston. When he started
to look at robotic surgical tools,
he was not impressed.
The tools are clunky, he noticed,
and require a lot of hands-on training
on fundamental maneuvers. He
saw an opportunity to use his space
and piloting experience with hand
controllers to build something better.
He teamed up with George
Guerrero and founded a company,
Fluidity Technologies, to create a
better controller for robotic surgery.
In 2018, Fluidity Tech launched
the FT Aviator, which allows movement
in up to six degrees of motion with a single
hand. But as the name suggests, it's a
controller for aviation (specifically for
flying drones) rather than robotic sur64
Cov
Spinoff
is NASA's annual publication featuring
successfully commercialized NASA technology. This
commercialization has contributed to the development
of products and services in the fields of health and
medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety,
computer technology, and environmental resources.
Astronaut Experience Inspires Single-Handed Drone
Flight Controller
The interface enables one person to accomplish tasks that previously required two sets of hands.
The FT Aviator is currently compatible
with a number of models
from drone-maker DJI, which of -
fers a software developer kit de -
signed to enable third-party accessories.
Parazynski received interest
from other companies who want to
partner with Fluidity Tech to integrate
the new controller including
helicopter manufacturers and surgical
and medical manufacturing
companies.
Astronaut Scott Parazynski photographed by a crewmate
inside the Space Shuttle Endeavour during extravehicular
activity (EVA).
The biggest advantage of the new
controller is that it is far more intuitive
than the industry-standard,
two-thumb joystick models. With FT
Aviator, the pilot grips the controller
with the whole hand, resting
the thumb at the top. That means
the thumb tip movement correlates
to the movement of the aircraft: lifting
the thumb makes the aircraft
climb; pushing forward moves it
forward.
The other main benefit is that the
single joystick frees up the other
Unlike most standard drone controllers that use two-thumb
joystick models, the FT Aviator puts all the primary drone
flight controls in one hand, freeing up the other hand to
complete other tasks, such as controlling an onboard camera.
The controller also has a mount for a smartphone,
allowing the operator to easily see the " drone's-eye view. "
gery. Surgery is still the ultimate goal but
the process of getting FDA approval is
long and arduous, so in the meantime,
the company decided to apply its controller
to the drone market.
www.techbriefs.com
ToC
hand to do non-flight-related tasks.
The FT Aviator builds in camera
controls to the base of the unit as
well as a mount for a smartphone or
tablet to view the camera feed or
manipulate any other relevant app.
That means a single person can
accomplish tasks that previously
required two sets of hands, which
could provide significant cost savings
in businesses where drone imagery is
becoming increasingly important,
from cinematography to real estate,
roofing, and utilities inspections.
The same benefits apply beyond
drones. Parazynski sees his onehanded
controller taking on new
industries in the near future as a smart
human-machine interface that other
providers could then build around.
Visit https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2020/
cg_1.html.
Tech Briefs, June 2021

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Tech Briefs Magazine - June 2021

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