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Robots
Wall Cars Will Race Automagically for Eternity
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 9:51 PM on June 12, 2008
This is what happens when you get a couple of cheap RC cars and add proximity sensors, extra batteries, robot brains, and name them Steve McQueen and Burt Reynolds: totally-automated racing all around your house. These electric robocars can detect the walls around them and race against each other for as long as the batteries last. The resulting Tron-lightcycle-like action is impressive.
The cars use a CPU called Picaxe 28X, running the Picaxe operating system. The program that runs them have the objective to "stay close to the walls, drive fast, and overtake the other," using the sensor to avoid obstacles by turning, as well as manoeuvring around them using the reverse and 3-point turns.
I want them. Fortunately, Frits—the developer—says that he will release instructions soon. [Let's Make Robots]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Dudemeister on the Run
Posted 10:18 PM 12/6/08
nice. Looking forward to instructions, making one and using them as a waiter in my house to bring me some beer. It'll be very nice. Though it'll have to be a light beer (pun intended)
Dudemeister on the Run
soggy_cheerio
Posted 10:16 PM 12/6/08
There's more fun to be had here.
soggy_cheerio
pushmonk
Posted 10:10 PM 12/6/08
Yes please.
pushmonk
droopy1592
Posted 10:09 PM 12/6/08
More like Nascar
droopy1592
Dook_In_The_Urinal
Posted 10:04 PM 12/6/08
Looks like my typical morning commute filled with female drivers. :D
Dook_In_The_Urinal
strider_mt2k
Posted 9:58 PM 12/6/08
Did you see where that one car bumped the other coming out of the pits? She's gonna be MAD!
Seriously, autonomous racers look really cool!
I guess the fun part would be modding them to go as fast as possible while still being controllable by the "A.I.".
I like 'em!
strider_mt2k
DaWickedBird
Posted 9:55 PM 12/6/08
KEWL!!!
DaWickedBird
Chromeo
Posted 10:54 PM 12/6/08
I need these...for work.
Chromeo
strider_mt2k
Posted 10:49 PM 12/6/08
@mfaerber: -or a tractor-trailer they can drive up into to charge up in.
(or upgrade weapons of course)
dunun-unun duh duh duh DUN-HUUUUH!
strider_mt2k
mfaerber
Posted 10:42 PM 12/6/08
Give them little nerf guns and program them to shoot each other at the same time!
mfaerber
jchasse
Posted 10:38 PM 12/6/08
Wonder if we could retro fit these to a couple shopping carts at WalMart, sit back, and enjoy the show.
jchasse
JacquesAss
Posted 10:35 PM 12/6/08
Considering how freaking cool that was in a living room, I would love to see them on a scale track. Also, imagine giving one 50% better acceleration and the other one 50% better traction.
This needs to be developed (commercially) yesterday.
JacquesAss
strider_mt2k
Posted 11:31 PM 12/6/08
(dammit)
sorry folks
strider_mt2k
strider_mt2k
Posted 11:31 PM 12/6/08
@unspellable: OKAY!!
+ Watch video
strider_mt2k
strider_mt2k
Posted 11:30 PM 12/6/08
@unspellable: HEll YEAH!
+ Watch video
strider_mt2k
unspellable
Posted 11:13 PM 12/6/08
Why isn't 'dizzy' used in any of the posts yet?
unspellable
GeekyNerdGuy
Posted 11:07 PM 12/6/08
And how about some Tesla wireless power induction, so you never need to change batteries ...
GeekyNerdGuy
GeekyNerdGuy
Posted 11:07 PM 12/6/08
Can you put a sensor on the other side, so they can go the other way too?
GeekyNerdGuy
RemmingtonShowdown
Posted 11:44 PM 12/6/08
Take that DARPA!
RemmingtonShowdown
Gann
Posted 12:27 AM 13/6/08
@strider_mt2k: The fun part would be strapping a heat sensor on this and programming it to chase the cat.
Gann
Pender
Posted 12:27 AM 13/6/08
Okay, that's awesome. I want.
Pender
N@tedog
Posted 12:23 AM 13/6/08
Place on ground in airport terminal. Enjoy.
N@tedog
Scorcho
Posted 12:22 AM 13/6/08
Big props to whomever sets this video to the Benny Hill theme.
Scorcho
Castle1914
Posted 12:18 AM 13/6/08
@droopy1592: Thats exactly what I was thinking! It would be interesting to fit a full size car with this system and let it go in a nascar race.
If you had a whole track full of them, you could have your crashes with no guilt of injured peoples! I see a new sport!
Castle1914
Ben Zvan
Posted 12:14 AM 13/6/08
Yeah, DARPA spent how much getting someone to build an SUV that could do this?
Ben Zvan
Grifter
Posted 1:01 AM 13/6/08
Love it! Just add music and cats.
Grifter
coolfelix
Posted 12:37 AM 13/6/08
@strider_mt2k: LOL First off, luv the vid. But I was trying to figure out why the hell it was here. Don't worry, I caught up. :P
coolfelix
CSX321
Posted 12:37 AM 13/6/08
I bet a bunch of these together would exhibit flocking behavior--like boids.
CSX321
Lupison
Posted 12:35 AM 13/6/08
These are toooo freaking cool.
Lupison
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 1:32 AM 13/6/08
@GeekyNerdGuy: Add some solar panels. Next step, SkyNet or the Matrix.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Netscott
Posted 1:59 AM 13/6/08
@strider_mt2k: There's some Dizzy'ness. :-)
Clever,
-Scott
Netscott
takemetoyourtoaster
Posted 1:56 AM 13/6/08
@N@tedog: put this in somones house, put inside of body of a mouse, enjoy
takemetoyourtoaster
Netscott
Posted 1:54 AM 13/6/08
Wow, that doth rock!
-Scott
Netscott
Jaamlid
Posted 11:08 PM 12/6/08
The track should have been closed, I mean, one of the cars just cut right in front of the other by taking the shortest route across the floor. He should be disqualified, the Burt Reynolds-car that is.
Well, when are we going to see big robot-cars tournaments? I can't wait...
Also, I want one myself...
Jaamlid
robinandtami
Posted 3:25 AM 13/6/08
@Dook_In_The_Urinal: 1968 called. They want their tired overused joke back.
robinandtami
ikepod
Posted 3:16 AM 13/6/08
strider_mt2k: Excellent Dizzy.
ikepod
LoganSix
Posted 3:09 AM 13/6/08
@Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP: N'ah, have them recharge like a Roomba does.
LoganSix
brianeisley
Posted 2:54 AM 13/6/08
Coolness. They probably don't do so well on carpet, though, so I don't think we'll be doing it anytime soon.
Although I'd love to watch the dog and cat try to deal with this. Hee hee hee...
brianeisley
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 3:55 AM 13/6/08
@LoganSix: That would require them to stop, or one would have to go to the "pits" early. Have them enter a slower speed when power is low, coupled with a photosensor so they keep themselves in light until charged.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
leMel
Posted 4:35 AM 13/6/08
Fake. If this was real, there would be a cat.
leMel
LoganSix
Posted 5:09 AM 13/6/08
@Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP: But, what if the room is dark? They would be hopelessly searching for the light until their little batteries died.
If you have about a half dozen or so, then it wouldn't matter if one hit the pits for a quick refuel.
LoganSix
MavisPuford
Posted 7:45 AM 13/6/08
I say they should rig these babies with a gps, slap google maps on there with some coordinates, and see if they can get to their destination in one piece.
Wow, these could be used in very bad ways... (strap bomb on top, give it coordinates, sit back, BOOM!)
MavisPuford
Hiro-of-Shadows
Posted 6:42 AM 13/6/08
Pretty neat, but those things sound like squealing pigs!
Hiro-of-Shadows
Killerdoberman
Posted 1:04 AM 13/6/08
I want like 40 of them and have my own NASCAR in my kitchen. This way it wouldn't be fake like real NASCAR, plus I don't have to hang out NNASCAR fans.
People...real race car don't have windshields.
Killerdoberman
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 11:25 AM 13/6/08
Keanu Reeves needed one of those in the Speed movies...
Anyways, nice stuff. I wonder if this can be implemented/adapted to real cars. I think I heard some project going this way, you know, for crash prevention.
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 12:16 PM 13/6/08
@MavisPuford: Considering they're size, it wouldn't make that big of a boom. As soon as you scale them up, then the access controls they have in place at your target would stop them. I'm not even going to deal with the other problems, such as how to get them to obey traffic signs/controls, how to avoid drivers freaking out and calling 911 when they see a driverless car, etc...
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 12:13 PM 13/6/08
@LoganSix: Thus the low power mode. It's tough to find a room that's completely dark. But OK, we'll build a Pit Row for them. Now all we need is the Danica Patrick car to run over someone in it.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
MavisPuford
Posted 12:41 PM 13/6/08
@Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP: Although I do agree that there would be tons of problems, it would still be sweet to try it out. (not the bombing part) :P
And I'm sure they could at least put something on top that could injure one or two people. I'm not talking about destroying a building or anything. Then you just take it to a park or something, drop it off, give it the commands, and let it go. Then when it arrives at the destination, it goes into some sort of proximity mine mode or maybe if somebody moves it from the gps location it explodes.
MavisPuford
Obsidian
Posted 4:49 PM 13/6/08
I want one!... I mean two... not much fun without at least 2.
Obsidian
Alucard
Posted 4:40 PM 14/6/08
Add some solar panels and these guys could be free forever.
Alucard