Xbox Controller to Operate Israeli Army Tanks

Published 07/30/2020, 7:04 AM EDT

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Gaming is evolving. The 90’s leisure activity and the 2000’s obsession is now a lucrative career option. While the fight for who will bring out the best 2020 console is on, PS5 and XBOX are going head-to-head on Twitter and YouTube, showcasing the future of their consoles. But XBOX has found a new utility that is making headlines.

Carmel is a new prototype tank built by the Israeli Defence Force. From the exterior, it looks like any normal tank, built for destruction. A quick look inside, from the back hatch, reveals a scene quite reminiscent of a gamer’s room. Firstly, it is dark and cozy, with no windows. The outside world can be viewed from a panoramic screen, which has taken the place of the windshield. There are side panels for intelligence information. However, these are not the tank’s most exciting features.

If I told you an average American kid could drive this behemoth and actually have access to its weapons control, I would not be lying. The Carmel prototype can be operated with an XBOX controller!

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The IDF’s active duty element supposedly involves males and females aged 18-21. Thanks to video games, these new recruits will now find it easier to settle and blend in. Though still in its prototype stage, chances of approval could mean a significant revolution. Bomb disposal squads have previously sought the help of gaming tech too. Moreover, gaming headphones might also be making their way into war tech.

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“They wanted something lighter and more portable,” said Meir Shabtai, general manager of IAI’s robotics SO. The idea is to break down the traditional mounted controls and use technology that is sophisticated but extremely friendly to use for the current generation. Even the interface on the screens will be something you usually see in a Battle Royale game interface, like ‘ Fortnite.‘ The only difference? The targets outside are real, and so are the weapons.


A report from The Washington Post suggests that this is not where it ends. The Carmel even has an AI functionality that was specifically coded from StarCraft II.

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Just weeks into training, the bots aced in performance compared to their human counterparts. Doom is another game being used to train the AI.

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This century will see the intermingling of technologies that will give rise to phenomenal breakthroughs in a lot of different industries. As surprising as it may sound, gaming is proving to be an important resource in the military, now more than ever.

SourceThe Washington Post

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Written by:

Avhinandan Chakraborty

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Avhinandan Chakraborty is an eSports author at EssentiallySports since August 2020. He is currently pursuing his Master's degree in English Literature from Calcutta University, and has been professionally writing since 2020. Ever since he was a child, he has been extremely passionate about online gaming and eSports, having played titles like GTA Vice City, FIFA, and IGI, among many others.
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