One-handed joystick with adaptive control

A joystick with adaptive control for operating a tool of an excavator, the tool includes a bucket, stick and boom, comprising:

• a joystick base providing an electrical output for left, right, forward and rearward movement;
• an outer base ring extends from a top of said joystick base;
• at least one sensor provides an electrical output concerning at least one characteristic of at least one hydraulic cylinder of the tool;
• a rotatable cylinder bar is rotatably retained in said outer base ring, said rotatable cylinder bar is sized to be grasped, wherein rotation of said rotatable cylinder bar in one direction in conjunction with a forward movement of said outer base ring causes the bucket, stick and boom to have either a digging or dumping motion, rotation of said rotatable cylinder bar in an opposite direction in conjunction with a rearward movement of said outer base ring causes the bucket, stick and boom to have either a dumping or digging motion;
• an adaptive controller controls the motion of the at least one hydraulic cylinder, said electrical output from said at least one sensor is combined with a joystick electrical output to provide a summed output, said summed output is fed into said adaptive controller to make a motion of the tool consistent with a motion of said joystick;
• and
• a signal transducer for converting an output of said at least one sensor into a form suitable for input by said adaptive controller.