Esterline launches HaWC suite of rugged game-style controllers

Esterline Corporation unveiled its new InSight HaWC and Mighty HaWC systems controllers at Eurosatory in Paris, this week. The Harm’s Way Controllers (HaWC) suite of rugged game-style controllers, where the InSight HaWC is for line of sight use, and Mighty HaWC, with visual display, offered in three standard configurations, facilitating broad functionality in a variety of manned and unmanned ground, airborne and maritime applications. 

Both the InSight HaWC and Mighty HaWC allow the operator to stand at a determined safe distance while maintaining maximum situational awareness, full autonomy and control, ensuring survivability and mission effectiveness. All HaWC models include patented human machine interface (HMI) technology, are configured with joysticks, stylized buttons, and guarded enable switches that prevent inadvertent activation. Each HaWC supports multiple interfaces which include Ethernet, USB, CAN and RS422, simultaneously.

HaWCs are designed to offer industry-best HMI features and, with the Esterline HaWC advanced application programming interface (API), provide for easy customisation of the Mighty HaWC’s enhanced display and graphical capabilities for embedded systems that lack graphics engines of their own. With the API, operators can customize commands to render, manage and manipulate objects and primitives as screen elements, have the capability to display scalable symbology, reticles and indicators. It will also allow text generation to display multi-language menu systems and status display for a truly custom look and feel. Additionally, the HaWCs’ haptic motors are programmable and provide a vibration feedback function that informs the user’s sense of balance and movement in perceiving and manipulating objects.

“With these newly-evolved HaWCs, we are taking our experience and proven success and putting everything we know in the customer’s hands,” said David Tessier, President of Esterline Mason. “Esterline’s heritage of being a renowned leader in technology, along with decades of human machine interface expertise and countless product mission hours, is proof positive that our controllers will be reliable, valuable tools in military, commercial or civil venues.”