Control handles are used as an attachment for joysticks agriculture, construction machinery and other vehicles, aviation, and in the defense industry. Depending on the model, they offer numerous options for customization. A control handle combined with a joystick is also colloquially called a joystick.

As it functions as the interface between man and machine, it is of central importance that the control handle takes on the role of an extended arm. For this purpose, many control handles offer not only different assignment options for switches, buttons or thumbwheels, but are also shaped in a special way. There are ergonomically adapted handle shells for left- or right-handed operation. The manufacturers’ repertoire also includes neutral handles for the possibility of two-handed or one-handed operation without a side preference.

Control handles are popular tools in numerous fields of application. They are used in agriculture, construction, and automotive engineering as well as in industrial trucks and municipal vehicles such as sweepers or fire engines. The aerospace industry, just like the defense industry, also relies on control handles for the remote control of drones and for the direct control of helicopters and aircraft.

Some control handles can be ordered in a waterproof configuration. This is particularly useful for applications where spray water and other types of contamination are regularly expected – for example in agriculture.