USA military to use 360- controllers

[Mael Duin]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2007/02/02...ive-thumbs-up/

USA army is going to use 360- controllers to control RedOwl- bots. These bots are used to check bombs, mines, snipers etc. and it can also check buildings before any soldiers goes in.

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 2, 2007) - The Army completed the first live-fire exercise, Experiment 1.1, involving Future Combat Systems technologies and equipment at the Oro Grande Range at Fort Bliss, Texas, yesterday.

The exercise is the first step in accelerating the delivery of key FCS capabilities to current-force Soldiers, and part of the most comprehensive Army modernization effort in more than half a century.

A platoon of 36 Soldiers tested such FCS technology as Urban and Tactical Unattended Ground Sensors and unmanned vehicles designed to clear roads and buildings, as well as detect persons and objects that may enter a building occupied by Soldiers. Robotics and unmanned vehicles help clear buildings without sending actual Soldiers inside.

"With the Future Force Warrior Individual Ground System, every Soldier knows where their fellow Soldier is, even if they're not next to them," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Haddad, Future Combat Systems, Evaluation Brigade Combat Team. Another advantage of the FFWIGS is the ability of the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant to locate all their Soldiers on their screen and communicate with them by radio.

"Soldiers won't have to wait for someone to send them the information. Every Soldier will have the ability to listen to real-time information on the radio so he can anticipate the next move. He stays informed, that means he stays alert." Haddad said.

The unattended ground sensors are part of the first FCS spin-out to begin in 2008. Spin-Out 1 also includes an early version of the FCS Network and the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System, also tested yesterday. The NLOS-LS gives the Army a highly deployable, long-range precision attack capability with a much-reduced logistical footprint for faster and more sustainable deployments.

"The new technology we have is going to save a lot of lives," said Sgt. 1st Class Andres Rugerio, FCS, EBCT. "That's the thing we're impressed about."

Experiment 1.1 had three phases. Phase 1 involved hardware and software integration and networking and systems interoperability testing in a laboratory environment at Huntington Beach, Calif. Phase 2 involved interoperability testing of various FCS systems in a more realistic, joint operational environment with more than a dozen Soldiers at Fort Bliss.

"The future is now," FCS Program Manager Maj. Gen. Charles Cartwright said yesterday. "Networked Soldiers already are using early FCS systems; and we're getting invaluable Soldier feedback about what works and what needs improving. Today's exercise is further confirmation that the FCS program is working as planned."

Yesterday's live-fire exercise will help ensure that the new technologies tested are sufficiently mature and suitable for the current operational environment. Results of the exercise and the Soldiers' feedback will inform subsequent program development, according to Cartwright.

The FCS program has delivered more than five million lines of software code and several pre-production prototype systems on cost and on schedule.

[jfiman14]

Huh, I wonder why they didn't just make their own, and that picture is awesome. It looks like it's fake or something.

[Mikleran]

When my friend showed me that picture a few days ago in a smaller size i thought it was a photoshopped GRAW screenshot

This has to be fake, right?

[[velocity]]

This is fake, right? If not, then... they have a VERY GOOD TASTE on controllers! Though it would be cooler with a motion sensing SIXAXIS...

[Mael Duin]

Check the link, it's USA armys own site and the pic is from there. So no, it's not fake. Click the link and see it for yourself. =P The picture on their site is just too large, so I saved it and made it smaller.

[Mikleran]

Check the link, it's USA armys own site and the pic is from there. So no, it's not fake. Click the link and see it for yourself. =P The picture on their site is just too large, so I saved it and made it smaller.

The article doesn't mention the 360 controller at all in it.... It's just that picture.

[Womble]

This is fake, right? If not, then... they have a VERY GOOD TASTE on controllers! Though it would be cooler with a motion sensing SIXAXIS...

motion sensing would be amazing but you could imagine someone getting knocked and sending a tank or something right over a hill

[the jackle.2]

they should use the wii mote then the enemy would die of laughter

[Naxi]

Probably have a x360 too in their backpack.Trying out a tactic in GRAW before doing it.

[stephancelmare360!!]

This is funny,wonder if there cammeras are 1080p compatiable...

[BingBing]

now so many more soldiers are going to die because of defective controllers. jk
but the 360 controller is pretty good. i like how the sticks are placed but i hate the d pad.

[bnolan56]

That doesn't look like a 360 controller from the back, because the back is silver. That controller is all white, and the plug goes in at the bottom not at the top. So this isn't the 360 controller but they will be using a controller similar so it seems

[Uncool]

USA army is going to use 360- controllers to control RedOwl- bots. These bots are used to check bombs, mines, snipers etc. and it can also check buildings before any soldiers goes in.

Hmm I swear I saw those RedOwl-bots on the military channel but I didn't see them being controlled by 360 S controllers, they were using the one's used for RC cars. I guess they upgraded using this tech - gaming technology has now become a crossover product to various usages other than entertainment.

[Sypherssj209]

It is real, they are only using them temporarily until they get finalised technology to take over, since the controller wouldnt hold up in a real combat situation as well as DARPA equipment.

It controls this thing

[girlgamer1984]

Lol LAMO, why are they using 360 controllers? I hope it has nothing to do with brand loyality and patriotism, if so then....sigh, patriotism can be quite sickening. Anyways they best hope they're not defective or else they'll be in trouble. Some one supply Wii and PS3 controllers to the rebels in Iraq and see where this goes.

[Carsonal]

I'm not surprised they would use this as a temporary controller.
Its very comfortable and I've found the positioning of the analog sticks to be very easy to make precise actions in games.