The Steam Deck has been round for 4 years at this level, and whereas I largely use it to play Ball x Pit whereas I watch TV, scientists at Airbus within the UK have used it to check the the ExoMars Rover.
In a video printed by YouTuber Tom Scott, an Airbus senior engineer walks him by way of progress on the brand new rover, which is being examined in a simulated Mars setting. Finally, this rover will probably be managed autonomously by way of mounted 3D cameras thanks to the gap between Mars and Earth, however for now, it has to be managed regionally with a pc.
Initially, she provides the prototype rover directions by way of a laptop computer, telling it to go ahead. Afterward within the video, Scott is handed a Steam Deck that is working some sort of customized program, which permits him to management a special prototype rover in actual time thanks to the controller that is constructed into the hand held.
Sadly, the video does not go into loads of element about what’s truly being run on the Steam Deck, however it is not the primary time Valve’s handheld has been used to management robotics; a few years in the past, followers noticed Disney operators using the Steam Deck to management droids at Galaxy’s Edge. Due to the open nature of Valve’s {hardware}, it is possible that the Steam Deck is getting used for every kind of issues we do not find out about.
That is a destiny that is in all probability going to be shared for the Steam Machine and Steam Body as nicely. All of those gadgets are working on Linux and make no effort to cease customers from putting in completely different applications and even working programs, so it is solely pure that they are getting used for issues aside from gaming.
Again once I interviewed Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat for the Steam Machine, they appeared fully open to this, with Aldehayyat telling me, “I do not assume it is a coincidence {that a} good PC can also be a very good gaming machine. On the finish of the day, good {hardware} is sweet {hardware}. So in loads of methods, the challenges you are making an attempt to remedy are, loads of them are just about the identical.” I am positive that Valve did not envision the Steam Deck getting used to check Mars rovers, however it’s nonetheless within the spirit of individuals discovering other ways to use the {hardware}.
The aspect impact of the Deck, Machine, and Body being open for issues aside from gaming is that the {hardware} is dearer. As a result of Valve does not lock down its {hardware} in any respect, there’s nothing stopping scientists from shopping for Steam Decks simply because they occur to be nice for controlling robotics, reasonably than shopping for and taking part in video games from the Steam retailer.
It is going to be particularly attention-grabbing to see the other ways the Steam Body is used sooner or later. I can solely think about what scientists will probably be ready to do with an open VR headset with every kind of motion-tracking capabilities. If the Steam Deck is getting used to management Mars Rovers, simply think about what the Steam Body will probably be ready to do.
Jacqueline Thomas
Senior Tech Editor
Jackie Thomas is the Senior Tech Editor at IGN and the PC parts queen. She’s been overlaying gaming {hardware} for greater than a decade for IGN, TechRadar, Gizmodo, PC Gamer and extra. You may observe her @Jackiecobra