US submarine controlled by game controller
The USS Colorado allows the electro-optical periscope to be controlled with an Xbox controller, something young sailors can get very comfortable with.
According toCnet, the US Navy has just launched the most powerful nuclear submarine ever, called USS Colorado. In addition to modern features in design, firepower, flow analysis system... this submarine also has a completely new way of controlling the optoelectronic periscope by allowing the use of an Xbox game controller.
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| Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Matus uses an Xbox controller to control the electro-optical periscope on the submarine Colorado. Photo: US Navy |
With this Xbox controller, the operator can operate two electro-optical periscopes just like in a game. With digital cameras, infrared cameras and many other advanced information gathering devices, the commander of the submarine can see a complete picture of the surface battlespace situation in just a few seconds. The data obtained includes the type of target, the parameters of the location, speed, direction of movement and even the name of the target.
US Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer called it "a true marvel of technology and innovation".
Commander Reed Koepp, commanding officer of the USS Colorado, said there were two reasons for this technological innovation: One was that Xbox controllers were cheap and two was that young sailors could easily get used to operating the device.
According to the sharing, traditional control systems are quite complicated and difficult to use, sailors often need several hours of serious training to master. But now, with the game controller, the operation can be easily mastered in just a few minutes. This saves a lot of training costs.
Additionally, the cost difference between a console developed by Lockheed Martin (a company specializing in manufacturing aircraft, weapons, missiles, satellites for defense) that costs around $38,000 and an Xbox game controller that costs under $30 is also quite significant.
The navy also said on its website that this is the first submarine to be "fortunate" enough to incorporate this controller right out of the box.
The USS Colorado is a 115-meter-long, 10-meter-wide submarine that weighs about 7,800 tons when submerged. It does not need to be refueled because it has a nuclear reactor inside its hull, which can ensure energy for this giant machine to operate for its entire life. Construction began in 2012 and was delivered in September 2017, with a total cost of about $2.6 billion. According to reports, the jobs it can perform include anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, surveillance, special forces transportation, and other missions.
This is not the first time that gaming applications have been put to practical use in the military. Some games have even been created specifically for projects funded by the Pentagon. Many other games are also widely used in training and education for soldiers.
In Korea, if you are a professional gamer, you can be exempted from military service.