SKYNET ALERT: Xbox 360 controlling a MULE

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.