The United States Armed Forces love videogames. Between the training simulators created for actual training purposes to the America's Army series of games intended for recruitment, we see the military using our hobby in all sorts of ways. Now, they're using game controllers to direct the actions of unmanned vehicles.
Lockheed Martin's Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE for short) is an all-terrain vehicle on crack. The gear-carrying drone can traverse difficult terrain with ease using its advanced suspension design. The damn thing is even capable of rolling over obstructions and gaps of up to a meter in size. MULEs can be programmed to reach their destinations on their own or, as seen in this video found by CVG, directed manually using an remote control -- in this case, an Xbox 360 controller.
This is all well and good, but not exactly the MULE I had in mind for the hardware. Check out video of the thing in action after the jump.
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i remember reading about this like 2 years ago when it was in it's prototype phase.. and i think the range is pretty decent.. it's the military afterall, i don't think they're gunna have somebody 30 feet away with a huge antenna sticking out controlling this thing..
.... Am I the only one who thinks it's very concerning, when they start to use more and more unmanned gear in the military?
The more abstract combat becomes, the easier it is to ignore the psychological barrier of killing people. I know that's not the MULEs job, but there is a lot of other stuff like that out there already and more to come... I don't like it.
You be guranteed that this will lead to the same reaction we have wjile playing games. No one cares if they shoot a civillian because they're not important. The armies alreadly have war too impersonal as it is as is hilighted by the disgusting amount of friendly fire (Or should we start calling them "Team Kills")
Haven't military forces across the world been using games controllers for a while now? I know they've been using them in the British army for unmanned vehicles already and I'm pretty sure the US has been using them before this case.
@ EternalDeathSlayer: Yeah. Exactly: If you were a soldier.
How about being a civilian in a war zone and having your town invaded by an army that doesn't even have faces?
Of course it's really good for the attacking forces and I honestly can understand, how anyone, who has a soldier in their family would probably see mostly benefits from this.
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Contest:
8:40 AM on 06.23.2009
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To be serious though, there's been controllers used like this before, but I still love it. I wonder what the range is on that pack he was wearing?
"Ugh, the batteries are dead in my controller Sarge."
FACEPALM..
Now, Call of Duty can officially be called a simulator.
HAHAHA
The more abstract combat becomes, the easier it is to ignore the psychological barrier of killing people. I know that's not the MULEs job, but there is a lot of other stuff like that out there already and more to come... I don't like it.
You be guranteed that this will lead to the same reaction we have wjile playing games. No one cares if they shoot a civillian because they're not important. The armies alreadly have war too impersonal as it is as is hilighted by the disgusting amount of friendly fire (Or should we start calling them "Team Kills")
All said and done though it is pretty neat.
So who cares?
How about being a civilian in a war zone and having your town invaded by an army that doesn't even have faces?
Of course it's really good for the attacking forces and I honestly can understand, how anyone, who has a soldier in their family would probably see mostly benefits from this.
On topic: am I the only one who thinks