The Real Tech Behind the Mind-Controlled Robots of 'Pacific Rim'

In the movie , humans build giant robots to fight enormous monsters that emerge from the ocean depths. Only they're not strictly robots: Each enormous machine is controlled by the brains of two pilots, since the mind of a single pilots can't properly control something so gigantic. It turns out that idea isn't as far-fetched as the rest of the movie.

The movie uses the dual-pilot interface as a source of character conflict and growth as the bond it creates between the two people links their minds in an intimate way. The more compatible the two minds are, the better the link, and the more effective the machines are at kicking giant monster butt.