Submarines of the US Navy get Xbox 360 controllers to control their periscopes

Command the most advanced submarine of the US Navy filled with a complex of computers, monitors are flat screen, there are also… the XBox 360. Men who grew up in the digital world, skillfully wielded them. We do not retell the plot of a new Hollywood blockbuster. This happens in real life.

Because modern submarines of the U.S. Navy begin to use Xbox 360 controllers to control the periscopes on submarines. The first in early November, will get the XBox controller class submarine Colorado, and then turn to boats of the Virginia class.

Submarines of class “Virginia” will receive the Xbox controller, added to the integrated image processing systems, which will replace the complicated controlled helicopter joystick style.
These submarines are less expensive and more modern versions of the submarines of the Seawolf class, which were commissioned in the late 1990-ies.

At the headquarters of the U.S. Navy has already said that innovation comes in response to the requests of sailors and officers, who declared that controls the periscope was clumsy and “heavy”.

The Xbox controller is no different from those with which played many of the crew. Over the course of the testing officer observes a special laboratory in Manassas, where you and the test. He noticed that the sailors who have tested the controller in his laboratory, could intuitively understand how to use it yourself in a few minutes, compared to hours of training required for the joystick.

And controllers are much cheaper. So, the control panel is a photographic mast and control panel images cost about 38 000 dollars can now be replaced by the Xbox controller, which usually costs less than $ 30. Most interesting is that you can buy in a normal electronics store, as the controller on the ship is no different from the one that is sold for computer games.

“This joystick is not cheap, and it is intended only for installation on a submarine of the Virginia class,” said senior chief mark Eichenlaub, mate, John Warner. “I can go to any video game store and buy the Xbox controller anywhere in the world, so it is very easy to replace”.

At the same time in the US Navy will not stop. In the future it is planned to develop technology control using the touch screen iPad or smartphone, as well as glasses and virtual reality helmets.

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