Detroit Auto Show includes new army tank driven by video game controller

Detroit Auto Show display includes new tank

The newest in military technology is on display at the Detroit Auto Show. According to the U.S. Army, the M1E3 Abrams represents the next generation of tank to be deployed by the U.S.

(FOX 2) - An explosive new vehicle is on display at the Detroit Auto Show, and it'll be hard to miss.

Just look for the giant green barrel protruding from a piece of military hardware. It's attached to the M1E3 Abrams tank and it represents the latest evolution of American battlefield technology.

But perhaps the most fascinating part of the tank is its steering wheel: a Fanatec controller that's frequently used for video games.

What they're saying:

"The M1 E3 early prototype. It’s the next evolution of the Abrams tank built to modernize for the future battlefield," said Ryan Nicol, who is an engineer with the U.S. Army. 

Nicol said the tank uses a game pad to operate the hardware because it offers a level of nimbleness that is a must for today's conflicts.

"Absolutely it’s exciting because of the ability for us to change things on the fly to modernize. To me, the tempo of the battlefield has never never been greater, and this is all enabling that future space," said Nicol.

Colonel Ryan Howell says the tank will be controlled by fewer people.

"The objective of this tank was to do reduced crew so it’s down to three with a remote turret with all the tech we can infuse that we can go by today," he said. "So no new science on this. We’re looking at new cameras, compute, digital link to the cloud, other vehicles that will be able to tie into."