Submarine missing near Titanic used a $30 Logitech gamepad for steering
3 years ago by BrikoX to c/worldnews
The navy uses it for periscopes, and training. Not piloting anything like this. This thing was definitely made as cheap as possible.
An off the shelf controller with several backup failsafes (they keep spares on board) is a perfectly reasonable way to do this. In such a cramped space, a hardwired or mounted helm would probably be continuously bumped or tangled.
Any custom purpose-built wireless device would just introduce more complication than necessary.
Sure, but they should still have to be vetted by the Defense Logistics Agency. That includes Quality Assurance overview.
I mean, Logitech makes reliable stuff. But shouldn't they at lease have a player 2 MadKatz controller in a bin somewhere?
I’ve seen a video of US Navy using an Xbox controller (arguably for experimental weapon iirc but still). If it just works why overengineer it? I would be more concerned about that hull (scuttlebutt says it was just carbon over titanium frame, not titanium hull overlayed with carbon). However I guess we will have to wait until they find the boat to know the reason for failure.
Exactly. Making the controls yourself isn't necessarily better, as long as the rudders and engines are engineered properly. Some seperate (emergency) control might be a good idea, in case the Bluetooth fails. Just to get the submarine back to the surface.
The submarine is a one-off experimental one that isn't certified, hasn't been used a lot and dives deeper than almost any other submarine. That's enough alarm bells for me. Whatever they use to control the vessel is irrelevant to me.
The Navy started using Xbox controllers for the periscope on submarines.
They also still have the old interface system and it was chosen because new personnel found it intuitive. Not because it was the cheapest option.
I had a Logitech F310 which started malfunctioning, where the left stick's signal was always halfway to the left. Logitech's quality isn't what it used to be. I can imagine something like this happening on the submarine. Question is whether they had a replacement and if they even recognized that the gamepad was malfunctioning.
Fun fact: The Logitech Extreme 3D-stick is used in many professional systems, but those are reliable.
I feel like that's the different between buying something and repurposing it and buying something and using it as intended.
In other words. Use the right tool for the job. A hammer isn't a screwdriver just because you can technically hammer in screws.
A crescent wrench, on the other hand...
Should have used a Xbox 360 controller
They could've done a 360 and walked away....
If they did a 360, they'd still be walking forward...
It's like turning left turns into a right, you have to do a third 360
Never mind the games controller. They bolt u in from the outside?! I'd never survive the panic attack
Hope they downloaded all the music to play offline
And to think a billionaire was on board.
I think most people are roasting their choice of game controller. The cheapo Logitech model. Plus if they wanted simple and reliable I would think a wired version would be better, not the wireless model. The military is all the time using them for controlling UAVs and stuff in the field. Nobody really pokes fun because it doesn't look like the cheap controller you'd hand off to "player 2".
If it works it wo...
never mind.
That is one of the least concerning parts of this lol, at least Logitech makes quality peripherals. If I had to choose a single manufacturer for input devices, it'd probably be them.
Everyone is saying that it's stupid they're bolted in from the outside, even if they weren't it's not like they could open the door.
Also apparently a Canadian aircraft has picked up the sound of banging so there's still hope.
Except if they have made it to the surface and now they can't open the submersible to get new air. In theory they could be suffocating whilst bobbing along the surface. That is of course a big if they have somehow made it to the surface and not been spotted yet.
If they are still alive in it what a nightmare they must be enduring right now, with only like 30hrs of oxygen left.
I feel like they likely lost pressure or some catastrophic failure and have been dead.
Or theogotec controller died and they drifted away and haven't been found.
Either way it seems really bad for those inside.
One of the guided cave tours I've done has a moment where they shut off the lights and encourage everyone to be as quiet as possible. Not being able to see the hand in front of your face is interesting for a few seconds, probably terrifying for hours.
Billionaire couldn't even spring for an Xbox Elite.
Much has been made of thos controller thing and I think it's getting overblown. I can not speak authoritatively on the safety of the sub or the whole operation but I am aware that off the shelf video game controllers are used for a lot of things including even military vehicles. It's a good controlling device for many things. Yeh it probably looks a little worrying when you step in to something being manoeuvered by a videogame controller, it's not good vibes or optics but, it's not itself a reliable signifier of anything really.
Yeah, if they had not used an off the shelf part, then people would make fun of the janky controls with "levers and pulleys." The thing is a simple control scheme that's well understood and easy to learn. It gives inputs to an onboard computer which interprets pilot intent and steers the vessel (how ever questionable the vessel's construction might be).
Game controllers are used for all kinds of robots and vessels (often remote controlled) - so the fact they chose a controller does not weird me out at all.
Do I think they could have gotten a better quality controller? Yea, sure. Do I think maybe a wired controller would have been better? My gut says yes, but I don't know their decision making process and the engineering challenges with running cables.
According to the BBC, the entire sub is bolted shut from the outside, so even if the vessel surfaces, the occupants cannot escape without outside assistance and could suffocate within the capsule.
This story just keeps getting worse and worse.
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I don’t think that’s particularly bad. Logitech makes reliable input devices. I recall that the US Navy switched to Xbox controllers to control their periscopes on nuclear submarines and saved millions of dollars and found that people understood the controls better.
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