We've got our test pilot back! Steve has finally got over the pneumonia sufficiently to be able to resume his role as test pilot. While he had been dodging his eyedrivomatic duties, i had done a lot of software development, and was supremely confident that software version 4c was the final version. Steve, over the last five days has proved me entirely wrong. So I have been feverishly writing code, which has resulted in version 4d. Unfortunately, the testing has highlighted a more serious problem with the hardware - or more specifically, the electronic hand. The basic design is flawed. At the moment there are two double sided arms at right angles to each other. They move independently, each being controlled by a servo. The joystick then slides between the arms. In order to slide freely, there is a certain amount of slop in the system. This slop, it turns out, introduces an unacceptable degree of inconsistency into the self centring mechanism.
So, next week's task will be a major redesign of the electronic hand.