Power Functions Thumbstick

This is an 8-way 'Thumbstick' type joystick adaptation of the Power Functions 2-channel remote control.  It is a short stick that can be pushed UP and DOWN to operate the BLUE channel, and LEFT and RIGHT to operate the RED channel.  You can also use the diagonals to operate both channels at once.

It allows you to operate both channels with one hand.  If one channel is 'drive' and the other 'steering', you could drive a model car.  You can also build a left-handed version with the same parts.  Combine two of these to operate four channels at once with both hands.  This could control a robot arm, or a truck with a tipper or lift arm, or the digger arm of an excavator just like the real thing.

Or even add a third controller for the full 6-channel controls of a model Excavator, including full arm movement, rotation, and a tracked drive.

This proposal is not for the remote control unit to be sold like this, but for a polybag set to be made with just the instructions and the extra parts needed to build the joystick onto a remote; the remote would continue to be sold separately.  As such it would be much cheaper than the categories that LEGO IDEAS offers you when you add your support.  But it could be bundled with a remote control - please comment what you think, though ultimately it will be up to LEGO to decide!

Some of you may have seen this design already, as I have shown it before.  If anyone is unsure of its origins, please refer to this message dated February 2008: http://news.lugnet.com/technic/?n=16255

This is my first submission to LEGO Ideas, but please check back to my Projects page for more designs you might like to support.