BODY JOYSTICK FOR INTERACTING WITH VIRTUAL REALITY OR MIXED REALITY MACHINES OR SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS

1 . A body joystick for control of virtual reality or mixed reality machines or software applications, comprising:

at least one support arm;

at least one attachment device affixed to the at least one support arm, and configured to be attached to a portion of a user's body;

at least one sensor attached to, or integrated into, the body joystick, and configured to detect movement of at least a portion of a user's body during use;

at least one tether attached to, or integrated into, the body joystick, and configured to resist a movement of the user during use, the tether being attached to an actuator configured to draw in or let out the tether; and

a control system comprising at least a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory of, and operating on at least one processor of, a computer system, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, when operating on the processor, cause the computer system to:

receive movement data from the at least one sensor of the body joystick;

transmit the movement data to a virtual reality or mixed reality machine or software application;

receive data back from the virtual reality or mixed reality machine or software application based on the user's interactions within the virtual reality or mixed reality environment; and

direct the operation of the actuator based on the received data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the attachment device comprises a strap, belt, vest, waist harness, or other device wearable on the human body.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tether is a flexible, metal cable.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a motor with a reel configured to reel in or let out the tether.

5 . A method for interacting with a virtual reality or mixed reality machines or software application, comprising the steps of:

measuring the movement of a user using a body joystick attached to the user's body, the body joystick comprising:

at least one support arm;

at least one attachment device affixed to the at least one support arm, and configured to be attached to a portion of a user's body;

at least one sensor attached to, or integrated into, the body joystick, and configured to detect movement of at least a portion of a user's body during use; and

at least one tether attached to, or integrated into, the body joystick, and configured to resist a movement of the user during use, the tether being attached to an actuator configured to draw in or let out the tether;

transmitting the body joystick movement data to a virtual reality or mixed reality machine or software application;

receiving data back from the virtual reality or mixed reality machine or software application based on the user's interactions within the virtual reality or mixed reality environment; and

directing the operation of the actuator based on the received data.

6 . The method of claim 5 , comprising the additional step of attaching the joystick to the user's body using a strap, belt, vest, waist harness, or other device wearable on the human body.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the tether is a flexible, metal cable.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the actuator is a motor with a reel configured to reel in or let out the tether.