public void startStatisticsLogging(BufferedWriter _buffer) {
		buffer = _buffer;
		if (buffer != null) {
			try {
				// write the header
				buffer.write("Second," +
						"velocityLH," +
						"velocityLE," +
						"velocityRH," +
						"velocityRE," +
						"deltaLH," +
						"deltaLE," +
						"deltaRH," +
						"deltaRE," +
						"xLH,yLH,zLH," +
						"xLE,yLE,zLE," +
						"xRH,yRH,zRH," +
						"xRE,yRE,zRE\n");				
			} catch (Exception e) {
				PApplet.println("couldn't write to file, buffer exception");
			}
		}
	}