Steam Deck tests Mars Rovers
When you think about the Steam Deck, you probably picture cozy gaming sessions with a ball pit and a movie marathon. But in a surprising turn of events, this handheld gaming powerhouse is proving to be an unexpected tool for some of the most ambitious scientific endeavors in space exploration.
Scientists at Airbus in the UK are leveraging the Steam Deck to test the ExoMars Rover, blurring the lines between high-end gaming hardware and cutting-edge robotics. This isn’t just a novelty; it’s a fascinating example of how open-source technology can be repurposed for complex engineering problems.
The process is quite ingenious. In a demonstration video, an Airbus senior engineer walked viewers through the progress of the rover being tested in a simulated Mars environment. The key is that while the rover will eventually be controlled autonomously by mounted 3D cameras due to the vast distance between Earth and Mars, for now, it requires local control. This is where the Steam Deck steps in.
The demonstration showed the engineer guiding the prototype rover via a laptop. Then, in a brilliant twist, the engineer used a Steam Deck running a custom program to control a different prototype rover in real time, utilizing the built-in controller. It’s a powerful, intuitive interface that translates the dexterity of gaming control into robotic command.
This kind of hardware flexibility isn’t new. Valve’s commitment to open hardware, exemplified by the Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame, allows users to install various programs and operating systems without restriction. This openness means the hardware is inherently capable of far more than just gaming. We’ve already seen this principle applied elsewhere, such as when Disney operators utilized the Steam Deck to control droids in Galaxy’s Edge.
The philosophy behind this integration stems from the core idea that good hardware is good hardware. As Valve engineers have suggested, the challenges in gaming and complex engineering often share similar underlying principles. This mindset encourages people to find novel ways to utilize available technology, regardless of its intended purpose.
The consequence of this open approach is that while the hardware itself might be more expensive than proprietary systems, it removes barriers for scientists and developers to access powerful tools. There is nothing stopping researchers from purchasing a Steam Deck simply because it is ideal for controlling robotics, rather than focusing solely on entertainment.
Looking ahead, the potential is enormous. Imagine applying this same principle to the future of augmented reality. If the Steam Deck is being used to pilot Mars rovers, the future of the Steam Frame, with its open VR capabilities and advanced motion tracking, could unlock entirely new frontiers for science and exploration. The potential to merge high-fidelity interaction with remote control systems is truly limitless.
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