Steam Deck Adapted Into Automated Gun Turret System

[T0@st]

The Steam Deck is a hit with enthusiasts who require a gaming fix on the move, and Valve has observed its handheld getting revamped heavily by the modification community - but a new adaptation takes the pint-sized PC onto the real battlefield. The GamingOnLinux site yesterday picked up on emerging details from the Ukraine frontline - TDF Media group has shared photos and videos of an automated gun turret system dubbed "Saber" that can be operated remotely. The Steam Deck has somehow become the preferred control method - its on-screen UI, trackpads, analog sticks and button layout factor into the gun turret's operation. A reader has informed me that Valve's hardware is not officially available for sale in the region, so the military must be sourcing units from a grey/dark market source.

Sergey Mohov, lead gameplay designer at Remedy Entertainment, reposted some of TDF Media's photos on his Twitter account earlier this week, and added that "this automatic turret is the best use of Steam Deck I've seen so far." The Territorial Defense Force organization has described the turret (translated) thusly: "Saber is a Ukrainian automated remote-controlled gun turret designed for stationary installation on static objects or moving vehicles. The Saber system's co-ordination is done via a remote control, camera and monitor - which allows combat from up to 500 m from the rig, while preserving the operator's life. This combat platform can be installed in a stationary (capacity) at checkpoints, border and other zones - it is even able to defeat low-flying enemy drones. The platform is flexible enough to accommodate any light anti-infantry or anti-tank weapon weapon - a good example being a Kalashnikov machine gun."



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[lemonadesoda]

Gamification of real death.
What next? Are we going to upload videos of frags?

 

[Vayra86]

See, PC best platform, can do anything, even kill Russkis

 

[Why_Me]

How long until this gets hacked.

 

[zo0lykas]

hmm a bit expensive remote controller :/

 

[R-T-B]

Gamification of real death.
What next? Are we going to upload videos of frags?

I mean this isn't the first time. A lot of hardware in the US military can be controlled by the lowly xbox controller. Wired but still.

When your recruits are often gamers, it sort of makes sense to use what they know.

How long until this gets hacked.

I'd bet on Ukraine setting up an encrypted control stream way before I'd bet on Russia even knowing what those words meant.

 

[Why_Me]

I mean this isn't the first time. A lot of hardware in the US military can be controlled by the lowly xbox controller.
When your recruits are often gamers, it sort of makes sense to use what they know.

Not gonna lie, that has me worried.

 

[R-T-B]

Not gonna lie, that has me worried.

Young people fight our wars, young people play games. They are good for both, sadly.

 

[Vayra86]

Not gonna lie, that has me worried.

Well if you played a few shooters you do kinda know how to use a firearm too.

It ain't rocket science...

 

[Why_Me]

Young people fight our wars, young people play games. They are good for both, sadly.

They keep lowering the physical bar in the US military. When I was in basic we were knocking out 300+ pushups a day while humping a full pack + M16 and ammo 8+ miles at least once a week.

 

[maxfly]

Ukraines military has shown an amazing ability to use anything and everything they have lying around to overcome their numeric disadvantage.

 

[R-T-B]

They keep lowering the physical bar in the US military. When I was in basic we were knocking out 300+ pushups a day while humping a full pack + M16 and ammo 8+ miles at least once a week.

That has nothing to do with control interfaces being easy to learn, which honestly, is a benefit the private sector (gaming companies) provide very well.

 

[Why_Me]

I'd bet on Ukraine setting up an encrypted control stream way before I'd bet on Russia even knowing what those words meant.

Eastern Europeans including Russians take to hacking like a fish takes to water. I remember when the Ruskies took out a Chechen leader with a guided missile when he was using a satellite phone in the middle of nowhere. This was back in 2004. Never underestimate any of that bunch.

 

[the54thvoid]

I don't know what to do about this fucking thread.

 

[john_]

See, PC best platform, can do anything, even kill Russkis

It doesn't kill "Russkis", it kills humans.
What starts in one battlefield and ends up being a successful way to kill the opposite troops, spreads in other wars quickly and in the end is mostly used from those who are NOT the good guys.

 

[R-T-B]

Eastern Europeans including Russians take to hacking like a fish takes to water. I remember when the Ruskies took out a Chechen leader with a guided missile when he was using a satellite phone in the middle of nowhere. This was back in 2004. Never underestimate any of that bunch.

Mainstream encryption is pretty simple to set up in an "unhackable" way for control streams. In the sense that'll it takes too long to do realtime control.

I don't know what to do about this fucking thread.

It probably should never have been but here we are.

I'll just leave.

 

[Vayra86]

I don't know what to do about this fucking thread.

Smile, move on, don't bother. Or just lock, it clearly won't be going places
All in good fun, honestly. We need to lighten up a little.

 

[TechLurker]

Not gonna lie, that has me worried.

For awhile there, there was some brouhaha being raised about the USAF looking to gamers proficient in military sims to train for potential drone ops, given their ability to more easily separate kills on screen from real life. "Gamifying" lives taken, if you will.

Then there was another report of US Military recruiters now interacting with gamers in online games, chatting up the potential to join the services. According to a few studies, apparently the competitive mindset of a gamer could be potentially molded into a more competitive soldier.

 

[Why_Me]

For awhile there, there was some brouhaha being raised about the USAF looking to gamers proficient in military sims to train for potential drone ops, given their ability to more easily separate kills on screen from real life. "Gamifying" lives taken, if you will.

Then there was another report of US Military recruiters now interacting with gamers in online games, chatting up the potential to join the services. According to a few studies, apparently the competitive mindset of a gamer could be potentially molded into a more competitive soldier.

I can see where gamers have an advantage such as what's talked about in the OP but with that said you still need boots on the ground and they need to be in top physical condition.

 

[RegaeRevaeb]

Talk about no respawn; it's real life.

 

[GoldenX]

"This was a triumph"

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Eastern Europeans including Russians take to hacking like a fish takes to water. I remember when the Ruskies took out a Chechen leader with a guided missile when he was using a satellite phone in the middle of nowhere. This was back in 2004. Never underestimate any of that bunch.

That's true, and a lot of good hacks come out of russia, including piracy and anti DRM groups.

On the other hand, russia has suffered some serious brain drain over the years, and in the last year has seen a huge exodus of young men. Gonna take a gander and say many of their better hacker types were among the group running from the draft.

 

[Why_Me]

That's true, and a lot of good hacks come out of russia, including piracy and anti DRM groups.

On the other hand, russia has suffered some serious brain drain over the years, and in the last year has seen a huge exodus of young men. Gonna take a gander and say many of their better hacker types were among the group running from the draft.

Putin might be forced to pay high dollars for some Romanian hackers if they still exist.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Putin might be forced to pay high dollars for some Romanian hackers if they still exist.

And assuming they'd work with him today. Even if they WERE aligned with russia, putin has made an absolute mess out of his "3 day special operation". Even belarus has managed to somewhat turn on him.

It doesn't kill "Russkis", it kills humans.
What starts in one battlefield and ends up being a successful way to kill the opposite troops, spreads in other wars quickly and in the end is mostly used from those who are NOT the good guys.

Gamification and technology being shoved into war is a good thing, ACTSHUALLY.

Seriously, look at the deaths in something like bahkmut, where 40,000 have perished. That's awful. Now compare it to WWII, where defending this exact same part of the countryside several million soviets perished, or WW1, where the city of verdun alone claimed 700,000 lives, and the river somme 1.1 million.

War is hell, but the focus on tech and vehicles has, ironically, lessened the number of troops needed to wage war, and the number lost. With the days of huge marching columns of infantry or old fashioned combined arms being put out to pasture, combined with precision weapons allowing an army to disable an opponent without a frontal assault, hopefully the death toll of future wars will be far below those of the distant past.

 

[Deleted member 229121]

Gabe better get on the horn with Zelenskyy to coordinate.
They can't just go launching Steam Sales all willy-nilly in a time of war.

I don't know what to do about this fucking thread.

You gotta do the only thing you can...