Spherical three-dimensional controller

A method comprising:

• detecting forces on a first actuator of a control apparatus and a second actuator of the control apparatus, wherein detecting the force includes detection of one or more of:
• forces on any of four quadrants of a first sensor for the first actuator,
• forces on any of four quadrants of a second sensor for the second actuator, and
• a rotational force about the first actuator detected by a third sensor and a rotational force about the second actuator detected by a fourth sensor;
• and interpreting the forces as one of a plurality of inputs including:
• determining inputs for five of six degrees of freedom based on forces detected by the first sensor and the second sensor for the four quadrants of the first sensor and the second sensor, the five of six degrees of freedom being translation about a first axis parallel to the first surface and second surface, translation about a second axis parallel to the first surface and second surface and orthogonal to the first axis, translation about a third axis orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface and passing through a center of the first cap actuator and the second cap actuator, rotation about the first axis, and rotation about the second axis;
• and
• determining an input for a sixth degree of freedom based on rotational forces detected by the third sensor and the fourth sensor, the sixth degree of freedom being a rotation about the third axis.

A system comprising:

• a processor to interpret commands;
• a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) to hold data including data from one or more input devices;
• a casing including a first surface and a second surface;
• and
• a three-dimensional (3D) controller including:
• a first cap actuator, the first cap actuator including a first rounded control surface, at least a portion of the first rounded control surface extending beyond the first surface of the casing;
• a second cap actuator, the second cap actuator including a second rounded control surface, at least a portion of the second rounded control surface extending beyond the second surface of the casing, the first rounded control surface being aligned with the second rounded control surface;
• a first sensor to detect force on the first cap actuator applied to any of four quadrants parallel to the first surface;
• and
• a second sensor to detect force on of the second cap actuator applied to any of four quadrants parallel to the second surface, and
• a third sensor to detect a rotational force about the first cap actuator and a fourth sensor to detect a rotational force about the second cap actuator,
• wherein the system is to determine inputs for five of six degrees of freedom based on forces detected by the first sensor and the second sensor for the four quadrants of the first sensor and the second sensor, the five of six degrees of freedom being translation about a first axis parallel to the first surface and second surface, translation about a second axis parallel to the first surface and second surface and orthogonal to the first axis, translation about a third axis orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface and passing through a center of the first cap actuator and the second cap actuator, rotation about the first axis, and rotation about the second axis;
• and
• wherein the system is to determine input for a sixth degree of freedom based on rotational forces detected by the third sensor and the fourth sensor, the sixth degree of freedom being a rotation about the third axis.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• detecting forces on a first actuator of a control apparatus and a second actuator of the control apparatus, wherein detecting the force includes detection of one or more of:
• forces on any of four quadrants of a first sensor for the first actuator,
• forces on any of four quadrants of a second sensor for the second actuator, and
• a rotational force about the first actuator detected by a third sensor and a rotational force around the second actuator detected by a fourth sensor;
• and interpreting the forces as one of a plurality of inputs including:
• determining inputs for five of six degrees of freedom based on forces detected by the first sensor and the second sensor for the four quadrants of the first sensor and the second sensor, the five of six degrees of freedom being translation about a first axis parallel to the first surface and second surface, translation about a second axis parallel to the first surface and second surface and orthogonal to the first axis, translation about a third axis orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface and passing through a center of the first cap actuator and the second cap actuator, rotation about the first axis, and rotation about the second axis;
• and
• determining an input for a sixth degree of freedom based on rotational forces detected by the third sensor and the fourth sensor, the sixth degree of freedom being a rotation about the third axis.