The first thing that popped into my mind when I thought about how the controller for my device could be is this:
One of those old radio controller that I used to move the small model car that I had when I was a child. With one handle on the left for move the vehicle on the right or on the left and another handle on the right to speed up or brake it. With this controller, piloting the model car wasn’t so easy and more than once I used to crash it against the wall or another object.
A device that perfectioned the old radio controller is the Play Station DualShock. It combines the simple arrows and the analog controller that allows the user to move in every direction.
Thanks at the vibration function you can also have a feedback for when you touch something or crash the car again something.
After the introduction of the touch-screens, the controllers changed again, like with this Wii-U controller. On the sides, we have the analog controller, the arrows and the buttons, and in the middle, we have a touch-screen that we can use to give commands easily with our fingers.
The introduction of the touch-screen revolutionised the way you can control and interact with the objects.
This controller is designed to fit an iPad and add the analog controller, the buttons and the arrows. Thanks for this add-on, it is possible to play several retro-games with an iPad.
Combining touch-screen with an analog controller is an idea that is also used to control the new video drones.
You can connect the drone controller to your smartphone or your tablet to see in real time what the drone is recording and control it with the analog controller. While the drone is flying you will have a full control of it and you can see what it is recording.
This is an example of how the physical controller can be translated into a completely digital one. Thanks to this intuitive UI you can watch and control the direction of the drone. On the left, you can see the control pad to make the drone go up or down and rotate left or right and on the right you can digitally control the tilt of the camera. With the icons on the top, you can access the menu, the settings, take a picture and start to record the video. On the bottom, you can see the GPS signal, the battery percentage and the button to make your droid landing.
Personally, I love the idea of being able to control the device with both the analog controller and the touch-screen. Thanks to the screen you can have real time feedback and set the destination. With the analog controller, you can move the device with a more accurate precision.
Fabio Amelia - Information and Interface Design 