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Smallest RC Cars?
fredhsu writes: "My brother-in-law bought two micro RC cars in Japan for me. They are both smaller than a matchbox. DigiQ from Takara is infrared-controlled, has two independent rear wheels powered by two tiny motors, and comes with a pistol-style analog controller. Bit Char-G from Tomy (Tomica) is radio-controlled, single-motor rear wheel drive, front wheel steering, and comes with an awkward controller with forward/backward + left/right switches. You really need to see the video clips to appreciate how small and maneuverable these cars are. I personally like DigiQ more, because of its powerful motors and analog controls. On the other hand, Bit Char-G has an extensive line of hop-ups and accessories. DigiQ sells for $50-$80 and Bit Char-G for $30-$50."
I have a Bit Char-G, and it is pretty cool. It comes in kit form and you build it yourself. To drive it is ok, but better if you leave the chasis off (you can spin a lot better with less weight). You place the car on the side of the controller to charge it up before you use it, so no heavy batteries are on the car. The charged up car lasts about 2-3 mins before needing charging again but it is pretty cool.
Now attach an X10 cam to this and have all those upskirt views you've always craved :)
At the intersection of computation and biology.
Personally, I'd rather have RC helicopters. Yes, I know their batteries wouldn't last long... but in an office environment, tiny cars aren't going to get very far, given the amount of clutter which would obstruct them. Helicopters, on the other hand, could fly over cubicle walls to attack people...
Tarsnap: Online backups for the truly paranoid
I've had my Mini-z for more than a year now, they are really neat. But quite expensive here in sweden, around 150 USD.
And you can spend a fortune on extra parts...
http://www.kyosho.com/cars/kyod01x1.html
We've got a couple of these in our office, that someone brough back from Tokyo.
They're so much fun its just silly. Incredibly detailed too - we've got different suspension kits, bodytypes and drift tyres, so we can do powerslides around the desks. Amazing little things. Fast as hell too.
Why are they so hard to get hold of in the UK? I'd gladly buy a raft of these.
If you want a really cool toy - get one of these.
Snelflight hoverfly helicopter
It's a tiny little tethered helicopter which uses a motor and propellor at the end of each blade, so it doesn't work quite the same as a normal rc helicopter, but the control box means that the controls are the same.
Quite expensive, but very cool
There is a review of the Bit Char-G here.
It includes some better images.
Take a look at the Piccolo helicopter. A definite flyweight, but bigger than the cars! It is meant for indoor flight.
Imagine this: The Pentagon offers to transport, arm, and fuel home-built drone aircraft to fly against Al Qaeda. Your aircraft must meet the following requirements:
- On-board GPS
- On-board video capability
- Must be controlled via a soon-to-be-built wireless IP network in (let's
say Somalia)
- 500-pound payload
From the comfort of your home, you can patrol your Pentagon-assigned territory, and engage targets as designated by the JSTARS targeting system.I figure the Pentagon can probably turn a profit by charging fees as they provide what is essentially the world's most realistic flight simulator. As an added bonus, they could sell the TV rights to the on-board video. Wouldn't it be fun to watch "The World's Most Terrified Terrorists"? Imagine what the MIT folks could build for this mission!
I think the most ironic part of the whole idea is that it turns the tables on the bad guys. Under this scenario, their most terrfying time of day would be when school gets out in the US. "Oh no! Schools out! Everyone head for the caves!"
What a neat application for embedded Linux.