Posted on 10/27/2009 8:54:14 AM PDT by amoktime
Do you remember when James Bond escaped a sticky situation in Tomorrow Never Dies using his remote-controlled car? Well now technology has jumped from the world of fiction to reality. Computer scientists in Germany have developed an iPhone application that turns the smartphone into a remote control for their self-constructed car. The driver can operate the steering, brakes, and accelerator pedal with just a few strokes of the mobile's touchscreen.A video camera placed on the dashboard transmits a signal to the iPhone, which allows the 'remote driver' to see everything in front of the car and adjust the car's movements accordingly. The commands are transmitted from the iPhone via radio to the power transmission in the car. The user can park a car on the ground level as far away as the fourth floor of a building. Both the remote control and car dubbed 'Spirit of Berlin' were constructed by the Artificial Intelligence Group at Freie Universität in Berlin. The group is investigating how
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
How long before someone packs one of those babbies with ‘splosives?
Well, who wants to bet that they’re going to be putting out a remake of Knight Rider?
I use to fly radio control aircraft. The aircraft typically weighed 5 to 7 pounds and had a top speed around 50 mph.
Occasionally, there would be a problem, like radio interference, dead batteries, whatever. In about 4 seconds, those aircraft would follow a parabolic trajectory toward terra very firma or they would go ripping into a tree line.
When this 5 to 7 pound aircraft struck open ground, it would dig about 1 foot into the soil on impact. Hitting a tree line was more spectacular as the engine usually continued to run as you heard the ripping sound of tree limbs, leaves, and aircraft wings. Pretty much like the sound you’d expect to hear if you tossed a running chainsaw into a stand of trees.
Either way, this 5 to 7 pound object could cause great damage. I’d hate to try and radio control a 4000 pound car with a dodgy WiFi connection! (Hey, it just went into a tunnel. I lost signal!)
They already did.
Is that a Chrysler mini-van named the Spirit of Berlin?
SERIOUSLY?
You’ve gotta put the pipe down fellas... Too much crack is whack.
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