Remote control cars can be tons of fun. There’s just something about guiding a little vehicle with the push of a button and watching it happily zip around wherever your heart desires. However, there’s always a limitation in terms of range. Until now.
Emil Kalstø has built a small vehicle that can be controlled over a cellular network. As such, he can send the car anywhere where it can pick up 3G (or 4G) service.
This is not a typical remote control car that you give your child to drive around the block. This little guy comes with a camera able to turn approximately 230 degrees mounted on a small servo motor, a Raspberry Pi with a Node.js app running the show, and even Kalstø’s little brother to ensure nothing goes wrong:
Kalstø doesn’t provide much more information beyond what’s in the video. Some quick searching around, however, suggests this rover wasn’t build in 2016. He apparently created the rover over two years ago and has simply attempted to document the old project now with the above video.
The car is powered by two batteries that can apparently last for 20 to 25 hours of continuous use, a 30w 24v chain-driven DC motor that means the vehicle’s speed maxes out at “approximately walking speed,” and a Huawei 3G USB dongle. This isn’t a racing car; it is very much meant for long, exploratory treks. It’s even mounted with a hazard light, just in case.
The car’s forward, reverse, and steering are all conducted using an Xbox controller. Everything the car sees is displayed on Kalstø’s TV, and he does all the controlling from his couch.
In today’s day and age, several are concerned about the implications of drones becoming extremely affordable. Now imagine a world where drones are not just affordable, however, can be flown anywhere there is cellular service…