U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscopes aboard submarines

Re:U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscop... by jsjohnst on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @10:25AM (#15284861)

Responding "the same problem exists with the custom hardware" isn't what everyone is replying with. Instead they keep going with the trope that it's an open standard and not realizing the example given was an open standard 33 years ago.

Further more, I agree with your parenthetical that the malware angle is the more important argument. I disagree that it's a solveable problem though, but I feel the Xbox controller isn't the reason it isn't solvable. Any platform can be hacked given sufficient motivation.

Honestly I think using these controllers are likely the best approach, but let's not pretend it doesn't have issues (it's just the it's the same issues or less cumbersome issues than alternatives).

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Re:U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscop... by throwawayjava on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @11:26AM (#15285463)

This is an interesting debate, but I think it misses the most important point: cost.

The Navy can buy thousands of Xbox controllers for the cost of even a single bespoke controller. The US has on the order of 100 submarines. Replacement controllers for the lifetime of each submarine -- even multiplied by 10 -- is a hilariously small cost compared to the alternatives.

So buy 1,000+ Xbox controllers and keep them in a warehouse. Problem solved.

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Re:U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscop... by collinmanderson on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @04:55PM (#15288724)

> buy 1,000+ Xbox controllers and keep them in a warehouse.

Yes, I was going to suggest this. It would solve the availability issue and reduce the malware issue. If it's replacing a $38,000 item, they could buy 1,265 extra per sub.

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