Nintendo Wii Remote To Control Military Robots
It seems the Wii remote is not just for playing video games anymore as iRobot (robot building company) is using it to control their military robots called Packbots!
That doesn’t mean the Wii remote still can’t be used for fun and games! Take a read at what these Packbots can do!
These Packbots disposes of bombs, sniffs out explosives and checks for landmines for US soldiers. It is 70 centimetres long, and moves on wheels or tracks. Some even have machine guns attached, although these are yet to be used in battle. - New Scientist
Of course the mere thought of using the Wii remote to control these military robots can sound like a joke. However, soldiers have found that using joypads to control the packbots requires too much concentration and leads to them missing some key information sent to their monitors by the robots. This is where the Wii remote comes in. After testing out the Wii remote to control the robots, many have found it to be easier and have a more ‘instinctive’ feel when controlling.
I guess Nintendo done themselves proud by building a very user friendly remote.
Here’s a two part video showing off the Packbot in a test run and then a CNN report on the Packbot in military action!
Who said using the Wii remote isn’t serious business?
Source:
NewScientist via Gamespot
Picture courtesy of defenselink