Soon after, details emerged about the sub's
non-standard design that did not meet regulations, including steering apparently handled by a $30 Logitech F710 wireless PC game controller from 2010.
As the potential disaster gripped social media, details about OceanGate's
historyof avoiding or
complaining about safety regulations emerged. In particular, people began
sharing a
CBS Sunday Morning segment broadcast in November 2022 that shows reporter David Pogue visiting the
Titan, which he later boarded for an expedition to the
Titanic.
During the CBS clip, Rush gives Pogue a tour of the sub, noting the presence of "only one button" in the entire vessel and saying that a sub "should be like an elevator." Pogue also mentions how many pieces of the sub seem improvised, including off-the-shelf computer displays, a lighted overhead grab bar "from Camper World," and using construction pipes as ballast. During that segment, Rush holds up a Logitech F710 Wireless controller that appears to have 3D-printed thumb-stick extensions and says, "We run the whole thing with this game controller."
View attachment 430137
The
Logitech F710 controller, introduced
in 2010, is a wireless dual-thumbstick gamepad for PCs that uses 2.4 GHz communications to a USB receiver. While its chunky design appears outdated by today's standards, it has been in continuous production for 13 years, and it usually sells for about $29.99 on Amazon.
Shortly after news of the Logitech controller aboard the
Titan spread on Tuesday morning, the Cheap *advertiser censored* Gamer Twitter account, which regularly posts video game deals, posted an Amazon link to the Logitech F710 controller on Twitter, and the item quickly sold out.
While rescuers fear for OceanGate crew, Logitech F710 PC gamepad sells out within minutes.
arstechnica.com