Tablet used for war games now

Who would have thought that the gaming user interface that is found in Real Time Strategy (RTS) titles would actually find use in the real world sometime down the road? Check out the tablet that you see above – it is a really, really huge device that makes me wonder whether “tablet” is the right word to describe it since tablets are generally meant to be highly portable. A large warzone touchscreen display might be more apt, where the hypothetical warzone will use graphical representations of real time happenings on the battlefield. For instance, blue icons would represent the positioning of Team America assets, ranging from ground troops to overhead aircraft, while red icons would obviously be the enemy.

Whenever a new red diamond pops up, all the commander needs to do is tap his finger over the offending diamond, and drag a bluish character over it. Basically, this would see a drone directed towards the enemy’s position, and the appropriate action can be taken. I guess this means there is a far less personal touch to battlefield operations, and those sitting comfortably in the command room might actually not be able to identify with the people in the thick of the battle, but see them as icons instead. What do you think?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets, Military
Tags: military, Tablet, video games