Slashdot Mirror


A Full-Size Remote-Control Car

Ant writes "A video clip (Windows Media Player required) the construction, operation, and demolition. It is a real-life remote control car with Knight Rider references!" The video works fine for me in xine (though sound dropped out for a bit). This car is not yet ready for the Las Vegas run, but if they hook up with some AI reseachers ...

125 comments

  1. Look! No hands! by Eudial · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jay! You can finally program AND drive at the same time!

    --
    GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
    1. Re:Look! No hands! by allism · · Score: 1

      This will probably get modded down for a troll unless the women see it first, but I just have to throw it in...

      There is an attachment for a breastpump that allows hands-free pumping (for nursing, you dolt, not for breast enlargement) and the same pump comes with a cigarette lighter adapter. There were quite a few jokes in class about pumping, driving, and talking on your cell phone at the same time. So now I guess that you can pump, talk on the cell phone, AND code all at the same time...

  2. It's been done by Drunken+Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nothing we haven't seen before. Apparently the British are about five years ahead of us in the cool gadget department.

    The site appears to have been screwed up. Anyone else getting a strange redirect?

    --
    Have you been stalked by Seth today?
    1. Re:It's been done by beebware · · Score: 3, Informative

      Oooh - I pity their webhosts then. The redirect to port 19638 and /webhost/rollout shows that the site is running the Ensim control panel software which only mails our bandwidth warnings - it doesn't automatically suspend high bandwidth sites or provide other methods of throttling. This means that that shared server (which is the common enviornment for Ensim to run in) is probably waaay overloaded at this moment and many many many customers are suffering.

    2. Re:It's been done by Yokaze · · Score: 1

      The car was driven by remote control in the same way Mr. Bond jumped in a flying plane. It's a special effect.

      The BMW was driven by a stunt-man hidden in the backseat. Well, not the ordinary backseat, of course, but a custom built one, featuring video-screens, which replaced the ordinary vision, and of course, the steering-wheel, pedals and gear shift.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    3. Re:It's been done by AintTooProudToBeg · · Score: 1

      It was also done in this movie.

    4. Re:It's been done by DonFinch · · Score: 1

      Yes but only us Americans would build it, then break it, and then pee on it!!!

      --
      -- Insert wisdom here:
  3. Knight Rider by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is a real-life remote control car with Knight Rider references!

    As long as those references include Bonnie and April but leave out Michael and Devon, then they'll be OK.

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
    1. Re:Knight Rider by Dolphinzilla · · Score: 2, Funny

      funny - I don't remember Michael Knight urinating on KIT, but I could have missed that episode...

  4. CMU Already Did This... by robbyjo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Well, CMU already did this long ago. They use Neural-Nets and they can cruise the highway at 70 mph. The test run is completely automated. Of course there's someone at the driver seat in case that there's something wrong. Interestingly, although the AI system successfully cruising the road, the detection sometimes mistaken a white tree bark for the road divider....

    --

    --
    Error 500: Internal sig error
    1. Re:CMU Already Did This... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Of course there's someone at the driver seat in case that there's something wrong"

      Pussies.

    2. Re:CMU Already Did This... by rusty+spoon · · Score: 1

      hehe, would YOU want to be that person?

  5. Hmmm by Playboy3k · · Score: 1

    Just like out of that James Bond Movie.

    --
    I'm a geek deal wit it
  6. Free Delivery by PhatKat · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think if I ever had a car like this, I would only purchase from businesses that would come out front and drop whatever it was I was buying into the passenger side window. Having a car like this would be like having an almost free delivery service for any place in town....

    1. Re:Free Delivery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, gas will be free after the war. You are fighting for freedom, right?

  7. One of the funniest thing I have ever seen !!! by forged · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The server has got great bandwidth too, considering the deeplink to the file right on the front page (I got 300KB/s).

  8. Wow! by chrisseaton · · Score: 4, Funny

    You could really do some damage with one of these - think Carmagedon in the centre of a city - and you'd stay pretty undetected. There was a "Murder She Wrote" episode about that once.

    1. Re:Wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      you watched "Murder She Wrote" ?!!?

    2. Re:Wow! by Spellbinder · · Score: 1

      bah such a car development will be banned by bush administration!!!!!
      because it is possible to use such cars for terrorist attacks...
      or maybe he tells us there are wmd in this cars....
      that we cant see them doesn't mean they arn't there

      --


      stop supporting microsoft with pirating their software!!!!!
    3. Re:Wow! by telstar · · Score: 1

      Alert the media ... I think we've located the sole member of the Angela Lansbury Fan Club.

    4. Re:Wow! by AbRASiON · · Score: 1

      Hey Angela Lansbury rocks!!!!!!!!

      well ok she doesn't but I'm partially related to her,.... and she's the only famous Lansbury I know of :)

  9. scrapheap challenge by Rcknight · · Score: 4, Informative

    they did this on scrapheap challenge (uk equivalent of junkyard wars) too, bit they had to fight each other, theirs seem like a bit of a kludge compared to this one though :)

    1. Re:scrapheap challenge by Kwil · · Score: 1

      seem like a bit of a kludge

      Uhh.. isn't that the point of Junkyard Wars?

      --

      That Jesus Christ guy is getting some terrible lag... it took him 3 days to respawn! -NJ CoolBreeze

  10. Hey by Treeluvinhippy · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's the same car I use to drive to work you insensitive clod!

    --
    >
  11. Car Bomb by PhatKat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This could give new meaning to those words.

    1. Re:Car Bomb by DriceX · · Score: 1

      I have a solution!

      Let's pass a law!!!!

    2. Re:Car Bomb by carenas2 · · Score: 1

      The forces of evil in Colombia have shown they are at the cutting edge of technology--and has happened in previous occasions.

      --
      i never know what to put here.
  12. Mirror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    in case someone needs a mirror.

    1. Re:Mirror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok Slashdotters.

      You produced 20Gig traffic in 3 days with that stupid (but very cool) video. I will leave it up till Friday 04.04. ...

  13. "Windows Media Player required" by Andreas(R) · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is Windows Media Player? It doesn't come with SuSE...

    1. Re:"Windows Media Player required" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      try leaving your parent's basement and you might find out!

    2. Re:"Windows Media Player required" by badansible · · Score: 2, Funny

      That 'Windows' is a typo I think.

    3. Re:"Windows Media Player required" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      then use mplayer it works great.

  14. Cars UI by Mattygfunk1 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    This has both good novelty value and potential to freak people out, but what about the impact of a new UI for cars?

    The hand-held steering wheel, foot controled accelorator / brake combination has clearly worked very sucessfully up to this day. Would a hand-held remote control for all three potentially make things easier for learners who have grown up with electronic equipment? People with disabilities?

    In the (admitedly unlikely) situation of a driver having a heart attack / stroke while driving, a passenger could take over simply by grabbing the remote and stop the car safely. Just thinking aloud.

    _________________
    Hosting starting @ $3 / Month - Cheap Web Site Hosting

    1. Re:Cars UI by Rcknight · · Score: 1

      maybe, but by the time you added controls for gears, cutch, indicators etc that controller is going to be very complicated, and likely not easier at all.

    2. Re:Cars UI by halftrack · · Score: 1

      The problem with this is security. Would you trust electronics this much in 90km/h? I wouldn't it's not like an airplane where there's a chance of escape or like a train that pretty much stays on its track. What if the stick malfunctioned? You would get thrown off the road, very unpleasing.

      In mothern cars there is always backup for the current electronics. Should your servo fail, you'll still be able to stear, same goes for the break servo. If the transmition blows your car comes to a (slightly dramatic) halt.

      I don't know about you but I'll hang on to the steering wheel and foot controled accellerator, break and clutch. No way I'm going to trust spilling coke on my drivers stick getting a false reading unless there's total, manual redundancy.

      --
      Look a monkey!
    3. Re:Cars UI by torpor · · Score: 1

      This has both good novelty value and potential to freak people out, but what about the impact of a new UI for cars?


      Yeah. Cool.

      Fill it with a brew involving fertilizer, and you've got a land-based cruise missile, ready for deployment, indistinguishable (well, maybe except for the smell) from lots of other cars.

      Nice toy. I can imagine uses for something like that, in the wrong hands.

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    4. Re:Cars UI by gmhowell · · Score: 5, Interesting

      'Fly by wire' systems are starting to appear in conventional autos. Actually the interesting application isn't what you've said, but combining GPS with it. Someone gets lost, the person on the other end drives you to safety. Or combine with those speed sensing cell phone thingies. The cops find out you are speeding, and slowly drive you over to the shoulder to await their 'assistance'.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    5. Re:Cars UI by term8or · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There isn't any new piece of technology that can't be used for evil, as well as good. All the technology does is give people more power to do what they were going to do anyway.

      Sig: In the old days, it took thousands of years to create the sahara desert. Now we can do it in decades! That's progress;)

      --



      "As a writer / novelist you might want to spellcheck your sig. :) " - AC
    6. Re:Cars UI by OldMiner · · Score: 2, Informative
      ? I wouldn't it's not like an airplane where there's a chance of escape or like a train that pretty much stays on its track. What if the stick malfunctioned? You would get thrown off the road, very unpleasing.

      Call me strange, but I think it doesn't take terrribly long to pull a 747 into a tail spin. Once there, I'm pretty sure it's hard to pull it out of it, there's no manual fix, and there's slim odds of escape. That said, I've absolutely never heard of a plane going into a tail spin due to its electronics malfunctioning. Something about precision design and redundancy maybe?

      --
      You like splinters in your crotch? -Jon Caldara
    7. Re:Cars UI by watzinaneihm · · Score: 2, Interesting

      For novel UI try this
      It looks like in capitalist Japan Cars really do drive you!!!!

      --
      .ACMD setaloiv siht gnidaeR
    8. Re:Cars UI by Peale · · Score: 1

      There is already a way for the passenger to stop the car. It's called the emergency brake.

    9. Re:Cars UI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I prefer pulling the keys. Unless the ignition has been punched. In which case: you should have known better.

    10. Re:Cars UI by Rastan_B2 · · Score: 1

      The cops find out you are speeding, and slowly drive you over to the shoulder to await their 'assistance'. Seesh, is it 1984 allready?

    11. Re:Cars UI by overlordhab · · Score: 1

      I vote that the new Controls should be a PS2 controls. Then you can do your license with "Need for Speed"

  15. Coolest. Geeks. EVER. by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 1

    That thing is AWESOME. I want one of those!

    --
    "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
  16. How far behind are the U.S again?? by Conor+Turton · · Score: 5, Informative

    Jeezuz. WE've had this for years in the UK. There's even a TV series called "Combat Cars" where they take a car, turn it into remote control, add armour and weapons then battle them in a "Robot Wars" type competition.

    --
    Conor "You're not married,you haven't got a girlfriend and you've never seen Star Trek? Good Lord!" - Patrick Stewart
    1. Re:How far behind are the U.S again?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They were made by hollywood before the UK ever thought of it. It's just fun to watch. Chill out man.

  17. "media player required"? and mirror by brejc8 · · Score: 4, Informative

    It plays fine with mplayer.
    And by the way the mirror is at the DMP
    Please add your own, my computer cant take too much.

    1. Re:"media player required"? and mirror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've said it many times...but i'll say it again.

      PLEASE can these clips be put onto the main P2P networks before the item is posted onto Slashdot?

      then you can just give us a reference filename
      and we can all get it.without killing the original site! ..this also gives us legal uses of P2P software ;-)

  18. But Really cant wait by ExEleven · · Score: 4, Funny

    I cant wait till I can go order takeaway without having to do much at all.

    Or just playing games with the cops.

  19. Daddy, Daddy, I want one. Why CAN'T I HAVE ONE? by hillct · · Score: 3, Funny

    Forget those micro-racers, those little tiny remote control cars that made a perfect fad gist over christmas last year. I can see it now. Every 10 year old kid will want one of these put in their christmas stocking. "But dad, It's not a real car! IT's remote control! Joey across the street has a remote control car! Why can't I?"

    There is the valid point that by giving your kit an RC car of this size, you'd never have to give him another christmas gift for the rest of his life. It would also be an effective deterrent to potential playground bullies, knowing that your kid has the ability to run them down and get away clean.

    --CTH

    --

    --Got Lists? | Top 95 Star Wars Line
    1. Re:Daddy, Daddy, I want one. Why CAN'T I HAVE ONE? by arvindn · · Score: 4, Funny
      It would also be an effective deterrent to potential playground bullies, knowing that your kid has the ability to run them down and get away clean.

      What you're missing is that the playground bullies will have upgraded to remote controlled SUVs ;^)

    2. Re:Daddy, Daddy, I want one. Why CAN'T I HAVE ONE? by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

      Oh just great! Think of all the spam for these I'm going to get next xmas!

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    3. Re:Daddy, Daddy, I want one. Why CAN'T I HAVE ONE? by JDWTopGuy · · Score: 1

      Oh, no! It's a playground remote-control arms race!

      --
      Ron Paul 2012
  20. A full-size remote-control car,1980s Toyota Camary by bsussman1988 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It looks as if they wanted to destroy the poor old Camary, it looked like fun, and it needed to be shown that Toyota's aren't any more invulnerable to mistreatment than any other car manufacturer may be.

  21. Knight Rider References? by Txurlo · · Score: 3, Funny

    That sounds cool, of course, but there's a thing... my name is not Michael, is this thing going to listen to me?
    Can't wait to say 'Kitt, take us home' :)

    --
    Txurlo
    1. Re:Knight Rider References? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kitt is actually picky about things, remember he whacked a bad guy with his door once cause he made the car say "aint".

  22. Mirror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In case it's down, check it at this mirror.

  23. don't support full size RC cars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you are supporting terrorist.

  24. actually.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    there are a good bit of cars out there now that use drive-by-wire technology for the throttle...very reliable..I don't see why it couldnt bel used for steeering and braking as well

    1. Re:actually.. by halftrack · · Score: 1

      Except for the time a datacable was loose in our car causing the servo and fuel injection to randomly shut down thereby halting the car.

      Modern car computers fail, not often, but it happens. The point is, these systems are redundant. The break, gas and stearing is always mechanically linked to the actual controls only aided by the electronic (think about how ABS, servos, EPS etc. works.) This makes these systems redundant. You can't however connect a joystick mechanically the stearing causing undefined behaviour on malfunction.

      --
      Look a monkey!
  25. Fullsize RC Car by Accipiter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I love how they demonstrated the throttle using the trigger-controller before they started the car, and it was cool to seem them driving it around in the desert. Very impressive work.

    I liked this up until they started beating the shit out of the car. They literally did all that work to trash the damn thing. They made it do jumps, tried to ski it on two wheels (which eventually made it flip over), rammed it with their trucks, and completely destroyed it. I don't get it. They made this really badass full-size remote controlled car, then they killed it.

    Oh, and posting an article with a direct link to a video file? Dammit, that's pretty lame and inconsiderate. You could have linked to a page with some detail that wasn't a direct goddamned link to the video file. Sheesh.

    --

    -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
    (If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't. :P)

    1. Re:Fullsize RC Car by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I liked this up until they started beating the shit out of the car. They literally did all that work to trash the damn thing. They made it do jumps, tried to ski it on two wheels (which eventually made it flip over), rammed it with their trucks, and completely destroyed it. I don't get it. They made this really badass full-size remote controlled car, then they killed it.
      Well, when you make your own badass full-size remote controlled car, you can get to destroy one too. ;)

      I was a little bummed to see it destroyed too but it was really fun to watch. I'm sure they saved the electronics and cool things that actually make it remote-controlled though so it shouldnt be too hard for them to reimplement into another cheap old car.

    2. Re:Fullsize RC Car by Baloo+Ursidae · · Score: 1

      Sure. Make sure you have some filesharing system like Gnutella installed. Then try the link below: magnet:?xt=urn:sha1:PXRIEMAWGMSGTT7SOGBERTSBYETP2N UE&dn=RCCar_video.wmv

      --
      Help us build a better map!
    3. Re:Fullsize RC Car by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's great to see so many people talking about our car. And thanks for putting a link to my page instead of directly to the video file. http://www.jdfab.com/dp2/rccar.htm

      The old one is down and a new smaller file has been uploaded, we have had over 50,000 hits in the last two days and about 300gb of transfer on the server... Crazy...

      It sounds like some people aren't sure why we destroyed the car after spending time to build it. Well basically we wanted to build one for a couple of years, and the goal was to do something fun and crazy with it so I have good footage to put in my next desert racing video, Dezert People - Second Lap. We built a new car from a 1987 Celica for the TechTV show, The Screen Savers, techtv.com and later we plan to build a second car so we have two to play with. Basically its all about good footage for our desert racing videos. www.dezertpeople.com

      Curtis

    4. Re:Fullsize RC Car by antdude · · Score: 1

      Accipiter, I couldn't find the Web page when submitting this story. How did you manage to find it from the home page?

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    5. Re:Fullsize RC Car by Accipiter · · Score: 1
      • Go to http://www.jdfab.com/
      • Click "Enter the old site here"
      • Click "Video"
      • Select "Desert Racing"
      • Select "Click here for the Toyota RC Car Video


      It wasn't hard, really. The site is very simplistic.
      --

      -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
      (If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't. :P)

    6. Re:Fullsize RC Car by antdude · · Score: 1

      Ah thanks. I didn't think that clip would be under "Desert Racing". :)

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    7. Re:Fullsize RC Car by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure how the throttle using the trigger is impressive. On most cars, all you would have to do is use an "oversize" servo (something intended for 1/4 scale cars) and remove the return spring on the carburetor or the throttle body, then hook the servo up, perhaps directly and perhaps with a linkage. Steering is the difficult part, because so much more force must be exerted. There might be a way to trick electric power steering into steering for you, and then all you would need would be a feedback and control system. But that's the most complicated part of this that isn't inexpensive in off-the-shelf form. The radio rig will cost you something like $100, it runs off 6VDC so a $3 regulator from BG Micro (that's where I got my 11-16 VDC to other assorted DC voltages power supply, and the price I paid) will be necessary if you don't want to deal with batteries. The servo is probably $50-100 because it's oversized, which would have made it cheaper until recently.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  26. Phillip K. Dick's Horch by Entropop · · Score: 1

    There is a non-sci-fi novel by PK dick called The Big bubble which takes place in the fifties, anyhow there's a big-black-german-remote-controlled-full-sized car in it which this psuedo revolutionary uses to chase around would be frat boys. Kind of off topic but not entirly. And I've seen lots of Phillip K. Dick thought of it first posts in the past.

  27. Coming soon... by garoush · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... a full size remote control girlfriend for geeks.

    --

    Karma stuck at 50? Add 2-5 inches.. err.. 2-5x Karmas Count to your pen1es.. err.. Karma all naturally and private
  28. haha by VanillaCoke420 · · Score: 1

    Seriously, that was excellent. Laughed out loud :-)

  29. You've been coding too much by CrystalFalcon · · Score: 1

    Programming while driving is NOT the association I get when somebody says "Look! No hands!" while in a car :-)

    1. Re:You've been coding too much by Eudial · · Score: 1

      There is NO such thing as coding to much! (Yes - i have a bad habit of terminating lines with ';' when writing stuff IRL)

      --
      GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
  30. Re:1.21 JIGGAWATTS! by VanillaCoke420 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Yeah it will fall apart!

  31. A verb is an action word. by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 3, Funny


    From the Slashdot story: "A video clip (Windows Media Player required) the construction, operation, and demolition."

    A verb an action word. I know verbs minor details to a Slashdot editor, but they important to others of us.

  32. KITT by Construct+X · · Score: 3, Funny

    "What are you inserting into my exhaust pipe Micheal?"

  33. WMP required? by theWrkncacnter · · Score: 0

    I think not. go here: http://www.jdfab.com/dp2/rccar.htm Why the heck would someone link the video in only windows media player? Sorry if someone posted this before, I skimmed and didn't see it.

    --
    -1 (Troll) is antihammer
  34. Bucky balls by psyconaut · · Score: 1

    This is nearly as cool as the atomic level RC car that I'm building out of Bucky balls!! ;-)

    -psy

  35. I have waited by eenglish_ca · · Score: 1

    I have waited for this day. Now I must by one drive it around downtown and terrorize people as they stare at the car with no one in it. Just wait until the cop tries to pull over the car. But who needs a really car. I have a gas RC car and it goes 45mph and if I were to get a gearbox it could go 55 mph and this thing is only 1/10th scale. It has a metal chassis with oil shocks and is four wheel drive with 3 differentials. It weights 5kg and if you were to hit someone at 45mph you could do a lot of damage. It can go on any terrain and the performance offroad is unreal. The military is gonna start buying these things and then using them as land based drones, by loading them up with a load of weaponry.

    --
    Checking out my form of escapism.
    1. Re:I have waited by DRACO- · · Score: 1

      I have a Traxxas Tmax RC truck (the first version with the .15 cc engine). This monster does run well (when it did run). I had mine stall out in a parking lot and got ran over by a crown victora, which just crushed the fuel tank and nipped the heatsink. I think the .15 cc engine is gone anyways. This thing can do jumps great. Weeks before it got put in the "ICU ward" (the shelf, waiting for me to go buy a new engine), my brother had made some small bike jumps about 2 - 3 ft tall. I would run it over these jumps and it would make the jump and land with a whump! The 3rd time around the jump I blew out a shock. Oh well, that's the one I had um reegineered before when it busted. (I didnt have the right oil on hand, so I dumped in some sewing machine oil).

      I think this time the shock got well stripped. It's holding ok for sitting on the shelf... :P I think tuesday when I go drop off a resume Ill go buy a new generic brand engine, maybe get something a little bigger bore :)

      What's really fun is taking it out to the street (nearly dead as I live in a rural area NW of Houston). Donuts, forward, Donuts backward... My stock tires are showing some wear on the outer edges (possibly due to the toe in I set for tighter turning in the dirt). Go to a loose dirt spot and put the thing in reverse, turn the wheel and hit the gas hard and the front end drops to the ground and you will be doing donuts nearly in place.

      What I really like to do since we have a dirt parking area and an asphalt driveway, I like to track around the asphalt and head over to the dirt lot and make a wide slide across the dirt lot (caution as rocks do get kicked up by this monster about as bad as a lawnmower).

      I have taken this thing into a gym with polished concrete floors, did multiple 360's in reverse in place. Instant 180's forward, turn and brake! (boy i wish my reverse gear wasnt so finicky.. tho I might have fixed that since I adjusted it after the crown vic wacking dunno yet if it helped)

      On a whim I drove it up a slide.. almost reached the top and braked slowly slid right back down (I only have mud tires right now, maybe if I had some street tires it would have stayed up there)

      The best thing about this toy(???!?!??!) is the gawkers, kids and adults alike stop in complete awe of the ability. It takes some a while to figure out what it is, as I dont run it with a body on (It rolls too easy and I have yet to paint it in the 3 years I have had it). Speaking about rolling too easy, I try my best to watch the turns, but sometimes Ill get cartwheels out of it.

      DRACO-

      --
      Consider yourself blessed if you are sneezed on by a dragon and only get wet, it could have been a fireball.
  36. Reminds me of Battlefield 1942 by Control-Z · · Score: 1

    The physics in that game aren't too far off from this video clip.

    So what did they have against that car anyway? Was their goal a remote controlled car or to destroy a Toyota without killing themselves?

    1. Re:Reminds me of Battlefield 1942 by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      can you think about any other legal reason to own a remote controlled car?

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  37. coo! by emotioncafecom · · Score: 1

    that is just pure entertainment!!! when does the full blown competition start!??? Will the cars have to be fully insured? I dont know what else to say--it was a cool video and the best thing I havce read all day long/- ok watched...this should be on CNN

  38. Re:A full-size remote-control car,1980s Toyota Cam by thilmony · · Score: 1

    if it was me - I would htink you could have bought a 80's Firebird for the smae money that Camry was worth... any Firebord would do, a little black spray paint... and you would actually HAVE KITT!

    --
    YES, there is a McDonald's in Hanoi Square.
  39. Not necessarily. by Midajo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The suicide, and subsequent martyrdom, is a very important element in the process. It has a profound psychological impact on both sides of the conflict. I'm sure cars like these will be used for attack, but they probably won't eliminate the suicide bomber.

    BTW, why was parent post modded troll?

    1. Re:Not necessarily. by ExEleven · · Score: 1

      Possibly because I am a troll.

  40. Poor Timming by NetNinja · · Score: 1

    That's all we need to do. We need to show Habib how to make a suicide bomber car without the driver.

    1. Re:Poor Timming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah, as they couldn't figure that out themself. Gosh, snap out of it.

  41. See what happens when rednecks hang with nerds? by defile · · Score: 1

    What a freakish coincidence. We bought a pair of Zip Zaps last night and raced them for 6 hours. But this video definitely tops anything we did.

    And is it just me, or did those guys have a little too much faith in the RC system and the guy driving it? I've spazzed out enough just while controlling little RC cars (oops, left IS oriented this way, duh). I can't imagine standing 15 feet away from a full-size RC controlled car.

  42. Remote? by aliens · · Score: 1

    Doesn't RC really stand for Radio Controlled? Remote means that there's a wire attached, no?

    --
    -- taking over the world, we are.
    1. Re:Remote? by justme8800 · · Score: 0

      I belive RC stands for remote controlled. For one, I have a neat little mini RC car I got for christmas--and its infared controlled. pretty neat.

      If you think about the definitions of the words, however, you figure that 'remote' means anything not in the immediate vincinity. so remote can mean wires attached, radio, or infared; your TV remote for example. Make sense?

  43. Re:A full-size remote-control car,1980s Toyota Cam by toddestan · · Score: 1

    Yeah, and that poor little Camry withstood a helluva lot of abuse before giving up. They really built those things to last...

  44. Stupid by anonieuweling · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It's pretty stupid that these pre-puberty boys really have to f*ck up their little creations. I'd think that alone because of this this topic is not so suitable or is /. getting childish?

    1. Re:Stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What?

  45. Too Late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess I'm too late because I've always wanted to make a remote controlled full-size car ever since I saw Back To The Future, oh well, time to drop out of being a senior in computer engineering because I'm too late...

  46. It really is a cheap hack... by TWX_the_Linux_Zealot · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I won't claim to be a car expert, but having had to fix my own car's brake, steering, and throttle systems, I'm pretty sure that they specifically did this to wreck the Camry, rather than to demo the tech.

    First thing that I would do, if I were going to build one of these for real/permanent, is that I would change how the braking and throttle systems work. The way a modern car pulls input from the driver isn't very effective unless you're putting that level of pressure on pedals and steering, as evidenced by their rig that was applying force to pedals. Brakes, for one, could be operated off of a very small solenoid if you changed the brake power booster, which are designed to accomodate the right resistance to a human foot. Change that, and things become simpler. You can switch to a tiny activation system rather than something that looks like it was used to tilt a dump truck.

    From their video, I couldn't tell how they had worked the steering, if it was actually analog or if it was cheapo-RC "full left", vs "full right" steering. Analog would definitely be the way to go, but if one uses a really small control, it would be easy to oversteer, causing loss of control. Probably why they picked dirt (even assuming that there was the possibility of using pavement that was far enough away that no one would care).

    --

    IBM had PL/1, with syntax worse than JOSS,
    And everywhere the language went, it was a total loss...
    1. Re:It really is a cheap hack... by cybergibbons · · Score: 1

      Brakes, for one, could be operated off of a very small solenoid if you changed the brake power booster

      What is a "brake power booster"? You mean a brake servo? They still need a fair amount of force to operate, bear in mind that a brake pedal is a lever, and amplifies the force somewhat anyway.

      If you mean some new fangled thing in a more modern car, fair enough, but this was a 15 year old car that they modified, not a new one. It would only have a servo, and it is feasible that it didn't, but there have been few cars in the last 15 years without one.

    2. Re:It really is a cheap hack... by TWX_the_Linux_Zealot · · Score: 1

      The brake power booster is a vacuum device that sits between the pedal action and the brake master cylinder. Cars have had boosters in them since the 50's. The booster is designed to assist the operator in adding extra pressure off of the vacuum to compress the brake master cylinder. When you apply the brakes, you're actually partially opening valves in the booster to let the car's vacuum system help you, else you probably wouldn't even be able to apply your car's brakes.

      --

      IBM had PL/1, with syntax worse than JOSS,
      And everywhere the language went, it was a total loss...
    3. Re:It really is a cheap hack... by cybergibbons · · Score: 1

      It's called a servo over here in the UK.

      It re-inforces the pressure created by the brake pedal, rather than creates it by itself. It's perfectly possible to drive a car that has no servo. It's also possible to drive one with a broken servo, though the brakes are spongy and may lock on in certain situations, and if you have a direct acting servo, or one which acts on hydraulic fluid.

      You could use a direct acting one, by sealing it, and having a port on it to allow atmospheric pressure in. It wouldn't allow for light braking or extremely heaving breaking, so you have lost a lot of control.

  47. Behold the power of toyota! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    amazing. they abused the hell out of that poor car. & every time, it started right up again.

    it WOULD NOT DIE

    finally they set the throttle at max & tached it out until it blew a rod or whatever
    & even after that it took 5 minutes!

    ive got the station wagon of that exact same car, & was thinking about selling it until i saw this!

  48. 100mbit mirror, anyone? by iosmart · · Score: 2, Informative

    i dont think anyone else has one currently going...but here's mine: http://www.pchopper.com/mirror/RCCar_video_new.wmv .zip

  49. Yeah, but by roman_mir · · Score: 1

    is it a Delorian?

  50. You Never Owned an RC Car, Did You? by Myriad · · Score: 1
    I liked this up until they started beating the shit out of the car. They literally did all that work to trash the damn thing. They made it do jumps, tried to ski it on two wheels (which eventually made it flip over), rammed it with their trucks, and completely destroyed it. I don't get it. They made this really badass full-size remote controlled car, then they killed it.

    You never owned an RC car as a child, did you? Jumping it, skidding, flipping, and generally crashing it is exactly what I (and everyone else I knew) did with them!

    I mean, what else are you going to do with an RC car? Practice your road rules and parallel parking skills? Bah!

    Blockwars: a real-time, multiplayer game similar to Tetris.

    --
    "They do not preach that their god will rouse them, a little before the Nuts work loose." Kipling, 'The Sons of Martha'
    1. Re:You Never Owned an RC Car, Did You? by Accipiter · · Score: 1

      Hell yes I did. I had a Turbo Hopper.

      The thing is, a Turbo hopper is a hell of a lot more resistant to abuse than a full-size car. The Turbo Hopper (and most RC cars) are DESIGNED to do all of those things. A Toyota Camry, however, is not.

      --

      -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
      (If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't. :P)

    2. Re:You Never Owned an RC Car, Did You? by cloudmaster · · Score: 1

      Look in your local classified ads section, and find a real car for $200-$300. Now, go to Tower Hobbies (or similar) and see what a decent 1/10 scale *gas* car kit costs. Somewhere in the $400 range, IIRC. The radio equipment is roughly the same cost either way. Steering and braking (though linear actuators, probably) on the full-sizer will probably even out the initial cost. Assembly time is probably greater for the 1/10 model (though, it does take longer to build a full-size kit car than a model car).

      Now, tell me which sounds like more fun - a little car capable of maybe 20-30MPH, or a 1:1 car that can do 70-80MPH? Given that the cost and time is probably a little less for the full-sized car, and the potential for really entertaining destruction is greater in the big car, I can tell you that *I* would go the full-sized route. In fact, I'm gonna go grab a copy of the classified ads right now. :)

  51. Viva la revolution ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Better 18-wheelers driving into army bases around the country, this stuff is great for the aspiring revolutionary or terrorist. I give it 5 stars!

  52. That was our car! by JDFilms · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's great to see so many people talking about our car. And thanks for putting a link to my page instead of directly to the video file.
    http://www.jdfab.com/dp2/rccar.htm
    The old one is down and a new smaller file has been uploaded, we have had over 50,000 hits in the last two days and about 300gb of transfer on the server... Crazy...

    It sounds like some people aren't sure why we destroyed the car after spending time to build it. Well basically we wanted to build one for a couple of years, and the goal was to do something fun and crazy with it so I have good footage to put in my next desert racing video, Dezert People - Second Lap. We built a new car from a 1987 Celica for the TechTV show, The Screen Savers, techtv.com. See the Interview on the link from my site. and later we plan to build a second car so we have two to play with. Basically its all about good footage for our desert racing videos. www.dezertpeople.com

    --
    Curtis - jdfilms.com
  53. Done Before by Bonkers54 · · Score: 1

    This would be a lot more impressive if it hadn't been done before by the Junkyard War guys in 10 hours. Their cars worked too.

    1. Re:Done Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yep good show too

  54. Turning It On by BradNelson · · Score: 1

    I wonder if you'll still have to flip the remote-controlled car over to use the off/on switch. Maybe you can just crawl underneath.

  55. Re:A full-size remote-control car,1980s Toyota Cam by bsussman1988 · · Score: 1

    yes that camary was tough but in the end it went up in flames, but let's put it this way it still ran after flipping over twice till it torched it self.

  56. weapon by emilami · · Score: 0

    That sounds like a new terrorism weapon. Just navigate the car into the desired location and detonate a bomb hidden somewhere on or inside the car. ......I don't think I like the idea of these things.

    --
    http://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
  57. Why is this at all news? by Kenneth · · Score: 1

    As far as I knew, doing remote control on cars is a pretty old idea, and has been done rather often.

    I saw a show on Discovery(?) calle Myth Busters, they actually attemped urban ledgends to see what happened. In this case they did the JATO and the Impalla ledgend. They couldn't get a JATO, so they used some rockets that certian hobbiests use for high launches. They provided more thrust, but shorter duration than the JATO. So they used three fired in sequence.

    Since no one actually wanted to drive the thing, they put a servo motor on the steering column, and hooked up devices to the throttle and the brake cables.

    The car was 'driven' from a helicopter (they were afraid of getting out of range), and the rockets were ignited from a control panel on the ground. They didn't act as if making the car remote control was that big a deal. They had all the parts needed on hand, and just did it.

    For the record, the rocket powered car didn't go nearly as fast as the UL claimed, and it was far too hard to set up. The consensus was that anyone who knew enough to be able to do it would have known enough not to. Even the guys that did it did it in such a way that no one could get hurt.

    --
    There is a civil war coming in the United States. Remember which side has most of the guns
  58. My father and I made one when I was 13 by g0bshiTe · · Score: 0

    For my thriteenth birthday, my dad bought me a Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle R/C. Lotsa fun. Well after some time playing wiith r/c we got this silly idea to make one full size. He bought an old vw clunker from a scrap yard. We used a Magnum Futaba radio. Micro reciever, and one large servo for steering, ( over 10 lbs throw ) our lifesized r/c lacked power steering. And two smaller servos for brakes and gas. The whole thing was done for under $1500 including the auto. The giant servo was the most expensize item. When it was finally done we took it to the local r/c airfield/ which is an auxiliary naval airstrip. and turned it loose. That thing was fun to drive. Sometime later we were at an r/c plane fly/in, this guy had mounted a small video camera inside the cockpit of his plane. And had a feed to a small RCA handheld tv he had strapped to his radio. He flew the thing from that alone. This got me to thinking, and I would really like to do the same kind of thing but add airspeed , heading, and altitude indicators in sort of a headsup display. Anyone ever try this?

    --
    I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  59. In the Soviet Union... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...the car drives *you*

  60. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 0

    What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream? Or what's worse,
    what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?
    -- Woody Allen, "Without Feathers"

    - this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...