Submarine or vehicle steering system

A control system for selective actuation of four reversible DC motor systems comprising:

• a control handle movably mounted for rotation about three mutually perpendicular axes;
• first electromechanical transducer means mechanically coupled to said control handle for generating an electrical analog signal in response to movement of said control handle about each of said three axes;
• hand grip means mounted on said control handle and shaped to be gripped by a closed human hand for providing a handle engaging surface for said control handle which may be operated for extended periods without fatique;
• second electromechanical transducer means carried by said hand grip means and positioned thereon so as to be engagable by the thumb of an operator using the handle for providing an additional parameter of control than that provided by the handle coupled transducer means;
• and
• circuit means connected to each of said electromechanical transducer means in such a fashion as to generate control signals for two of the four reversible DC motors which are dependent on movement of said control handle about two of said three axes and to generate control signals for each of the two remaining reversible DC motors each being independent of the other and dependent on movement of said handle about the remaining axis of movement of said control handle and the operation of the thumb engaged electromechanical transducer.