Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm Bombs

Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm Bombs

July 20, 2008

U.S. and British military forces are increasingly utilizing video game technology, according to Wired's Danger Room blog.

By way of example, arms manufacturer Raytheon displayed its Universal Control System for drone aircraft at an air show last week. Company exec Mark Bigham commented on the system, which employs video game-like controls:

Gaming companies have spent millions to develop user-friendly graphic interfaces, so why not put them to work on UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles]? The video-game industry always will outspend the military on improving human-computer interaction.

In another application, the Wiimote is being used in place of traditional joypads to control the robots used to disarm roadside bombs in Iraq. Paul Marks writes in New Scientist:

The problem with the joypad is that it takes a lot of concentration and can monopolize the attention of the soldier using it… The Wiimote is far more intuitive because movements of the hand directly translate into movements of the robot.

Meanwhile, UK blogger Paul Mander noticed that a modified Xbox controller is being used to fly a drone in the British Army recruiting video at left.

Via: Hard OCP

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Comments

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Anonymous - July 20, 2008 at 6:05 am -0500

Oh god... I have to work really hard to avoid making or even referencing a joke about... ah! Almost got me there.

Almost said waggle.

****.

 

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Aliasalpha - July 20, 2008 at 7:08 am -0500

Is this just a honeypot to trap jack thompson, possibly for scientific experiements into the connection between megalomania and paranoia?

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Haggard - July 20, 2008 at 7:33 am -0500

I loved the above video "sarge, take a look at this!" *360 RRoD's*

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by lordlundar - July 20, 2008 at 9:37 am -0500

The cartoon eyes were good as well as the RRoD.

On a more serious note, it's not surprising. The Predator' control setup is effecively taken from MS Flight simulator.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by kurisu7885 (can't log in) - July 20, 2008 at 9:43 am -0500

It makes perfect sense to try to employ a control interfacre that's easier to use than those complicated briefcases.

Now we jus wait for Thompson and the LaRouche-ites to descend upon here and the articel will be compelte [/sarcasm]

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by -Jes- - July 20, 2008 at 10:40 am -0500

Well actually this makes sense.

The gaming industry spends millions upon millions on user-to-technology interfaces (controllers, keyboards, mice, wiimotes), so it doesn't come as a surprise when military organisations lends from the gaming industry in order to literally get more usable remote-control hardware for less taxpayer money.

As for the posters above mentioning the LaRouche guys and Thompson.. I doubt those douchebags can pull anything actually worthwhile out of this segment instead of the usual "games train to kill" jibberish that has been put down by REAL SCIENTIFIC WORK a couple billion times so far.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by catboy_j - July 20, 2008 at 11:13 am -0500

I was more wondering why the militaries weren't already using game controllers in some capicity. Apparrently I was correct in thinking they should lol.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Anonymous - July 20, 2008 at 11:30 am -0500

see, videogames do kill people

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Kincyr - July 20, 2008 at 3:23 pm -0500

bombs are not people; disarming them actually does the opposite of killing people

岩「…Ace beats Jack」

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Anonymous - July 20, 2008 at 3:47 pm -0500

yes but they may on the odd occasion use the drones to take out enemy soldiers. Some drones are equiped with a couple helfire missles to use in some occasions.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Anonymous - July 20, 2008 at 3:50 pm -0500

Except that SWORDS and other projects are years of if they ever amount to anything.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by kurisu7885 (can't log in) - July 20, 2008 at 4:33 pm -0500

The hope is to use those as little as possible with as little collateral damage as possible.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Anonymous - July 20, 2008 at 2:42 pm -0500

now imagine if those drones had sensors that can send haptic feedback or motion sense to the controller

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by kurisu7885 (can't log in) - July 20, 2008 at 9:22 pm -0500

That would bring unmanned airiel dogfights straight to reality.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Anonymous - July 20, 2008 at 2:44 pm -0500

I would prefer a keyboard and mouse

 

just saying...

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by T5 - July 20, 2008 at 2:47 pm -0500

"The problem with the joypad is that it takes a lot of concentration and can monopolize the attention of the soldier using it…"

Unless the solider is a gamer, which lets him use the control, eat, talk on the phone, sing and shout slurs at people all at the same time and still go 35-5 on CoD

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by DavCube - July 20, 2008 at 3:38 pm -0500

Well, you know, all the IMPORTANT people know that those little plastic button are leik TEH BEZT SIM-U-L8RZ EVAR!!!!

...meh, i got nothin'

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Matthew - July 20, 2008 at 5:08 pm -0500

PC gamers got that beat. Official secrets and military information is entered onto systems around the world every day using standard unmodified WASD controllers.

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by Cuttermoore - July 21, 2008 at 8:01 am -0500

Using game controllers to pilot flying drones?

>.>

<.<

"Do a barrel roll Fox!"

Re: Military Using Game Controllers to Pilot Drones, Disarm
Submitted by joe - July 22, 2008 at 11:18 am -0500

I like this idea.

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