 "Missing Titanic submersible was using $30 Logitech video game controller")
According to a Forbes report, a submersible vessel carrying five people has gone missing on its 12,500 feet deep trip, nearly two hours on its tour of Titanic's wreck. The submersible vessel was controlled by an outdated video game controller.
The vessel disappeared on Sunday, and extensive rescue operations are underway as the submersible's air supply is expected to last only three more days.
What is a Submersible?
A private US company, OceanGate, owned the carbon fiber and titanium vessel, known as Titan. The submersible is 6.7 metres long and can reach a depth of 2.5 miles. The Titanic wreck is located 2.4 miles deep in the Atlantic Sea. The vessel is capable of reaching that level and weighs 23000 pounds or 10432 kilograms.
The titanium vessel was designed to have 5 people, one driver and four passengers. Among the four people onboard the vessel, one is British businessman Hamish Harding, the operating firm's founder and CEO Stockton Rush, Businessman Shahzad Dawood and his son, among others.
According to the Forbes report, the submersible vessel was being controlled by a $30 Logitech PC controller - the Logitech G F710. Some have said that it's not a PlayStation controller, but it closely resembles it. The controller is compatible with Windows Vista and Windows 7, and it is yet to be known if the PC controller has anything to do with the Submersible issue.
OceanGate CEO admitted
The CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, admitted using the game controller and said, "We run the whole thing with this game controller,” before launch, making it essential to the submersible’s operation.
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The Forbes report further added that social media is filled with negative comments wondering how firms use game controllers for real-life operations. Logitech has not commented on the matter yet.