Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Americans react as missing Titanic submarine was being controlled by $30 Logitech gamepad remote.
A terrifying detail has since emerged – the primary control of the Titan is a 2011 Logitech gamepad controller. Down at depths as crushing as those the Titan dove to, using GPS tracking is not an option. Instead, the crew receives instructions from a team on the surface vessel above via a text messaging system.
On board, the pilot – in this case, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush himself – steers the vessel based on these instructions using the outdated gaming controller. That being said, it probably doesn’t help that the Logitech F710, an accessory that’s about RM160 on Shopee and is so old that it originally came out for Windows 7, has been panned as a pretty terrible controller. Recent Amazon reviews for the Logitech F710 have been quite negative, claiming that it disconnects frequently and that the analog sticks failed on users shortly after purchase—not exactly confidence-inspiring to say the least.
Built out of carbon fibre and titanium, it certainly seemed a little homemade to say the least, with the submersible even controlled via a Logitech F710 controller that first came out in 2010. Even the CBS correspondent couldn’t help but face palm when told how it was steered. This is on top of him having to sign a waiver that mentioned ‘death’ multiple times in the papers.
However, it actually turns out that using video game controllers to control and navigate serious equipment—like say, a submersible—isn’t actually that weird. In fact, it’s actually become quite common for military personnel to use modified Xbox controllers as a way to control everything from tanks to submarines. Game controllers tend to be used thanks to it being mostly comfortable and ergonomic in your hands, while having enough joysticks and buttons on it to be versatile for different use cases.
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