Patent ID: 8723638

Claim:
A boom lift platform mounted on a vehicle, said platform having a speed control system for controlling the movement of the vehicle and the movement of the platform relative to the vehicle, said speed control system comprising: a. a joystick having a handle, for manually controlling speed of the platform relative to the vehicle; b. a speed sensor for generating a signal that is indicative of an actual speed of the platform relative to the vehicle; c. controls and circuitry adapted to effect a null velocity when the handle is positioned in a neutral position, a first velocity when the handle is moved to a first extent in a first direction from said neutral position, and a second velocity when the handle is moved to a second extent in the same first direction from said neutral position, the second extent being greater than the first extent, and the second velocity being greater than the first velocity; d. said controls and circuitry being further adapted to receive said signal; e. a positional bias associated with the handle of said joystick to bias the position of said handle toward the neutral position when said handle is released from the second extent in the first direction; and f. a motorized handle position controller that influences the position of the handle in relation to said signal, said handle position controller being adapted to influence the handle to be closer to the first extent in the first direction than the neutral position if the actual speed of the platform relative to the vehicle is closer to the first velocity than a null velocity, thereby influencing the position of the handle to provide tactile feedback to an operator who is manually holding said handle, the tactile feedback being indicative of the actual speed of the platform relative to the vehicle.