Remote Warfare Console

Open to everyone until Wednesday, September 30

To keep it, print it while it is open.

A remote operator can direct a drone from a secure room while the fighting happens many kilometres away. This distance can protect the operator from immediate danger, but it also raises questions about responsibility and the experience of combat.

In the picture

A hand on a joystick: manual control from a seated desk
A screen with an aerial view: the distant scene as seen through a camera
A headset: audio contact with distant people or aircraft
A drone in the sky: the remote aircraft being directed
A window: the ordinary room’s view of the outside landscape

Examples

A drone operator commutes to a base, works a shift, and drives home.
A surgeon guides a robotic arm from across the operating room.

Key takeaways

Remote operators can act without being physically present at the target.
Distance can reduce personal risk while making moral responsibility harder to locate.