A force feedback interface device including a safety feature. The interface device includes a sensor that senses the position of a user object along a degree of freedom and provides a sensor signal indicating the position of the user object to a host computer. An actuator of the device applies a force to the user object in the degree of freedom. A safety switch connected to the user object disables the actuator when the user is not using the interface device and enables the actuator when more than a predetermined amount of weight is placed on the user object.