Editing Joystick (section)

{{Short description|Control lever used in aircraft and video games}}
{{Redirect|Control stick|the joystick often called a control stick in many controllers|Analog stick}}
{{Other uses}}

[[Image:Joyopis.svg|right|thumb|Possible elements of a video game joystick: 1.&nbsp;stick, 2.&nbsp;base, 3.&nbsp;trigger, 4.&nbsp;extra buttons, 5.&nbsp;autofire switch, 6.&nbsp;throttle, 7.&nbsp;[[#Hat switch|hat switch (POV hat)]], 8.&nbsp;suction cups.]]

A '''joystick''', sometimes called a '''flight stick''', is an [[input device]] consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the '''control column''', it is the principal control device in the [[cockpit]] of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a [[centre stick]] or [[side-stick]]. It has various switches to control functions of the aircraft controlled by the Pilot and First Officer of the flight.

Joysticks are often used to control video games, and usually have push-buttons whose state can be read by the computer. A popular variation of the joystick used on modern [[video game console]]s is the [[analog stick]]. Joysticks are also used for controlling machines such as cranes, trucks, underwater unmanned vehicles, wheelchairs, surveillance cameras, and [[Zero-turn mower|zero turning radius lawn mowers]]. Miniature finger-operated joysticks have been adopted as input devices for smaller electronic equipment such as [[mobile phone]]s.