Submission + - What's it like to pilot a drone? A lot like Call of Duty (foxnews.com)
Velcroman1 writes: Teenagers raised on "Call of Duty" and "Halo" might relish flying a massive Predator drone — a surprisingly similar activity. Pilots of unmanned military aircraft use a joystick to swoop down into the battlefield, spot enemy troop movements, and snap photos of terror suspects, explained John Hamby, a former military commander who led surveillance missions during the Iraq War. “You’re always maneuvering the airplane to get a closer look,” Hamby said. “You’re constantly searching for the bad guys and targets of interest. When you do find something that is actionable, you’re a hero.” Yet a new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found real-life drone operators can become easily bored. Only one participant paid attention during an entire test session, while even top performers spent a third of the time checking a cellphone or catching up on the latest novel. The solution: making the actual drone mission even more like a video game.
