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Video: Radio Control? Old News! Phones Are Where It's At

Antony Ingram

Contributing Writer BIO

Antony has what can only be described as an obsession for all things automotive. If it moves, he'll drive it, and even if it doesn't move, he'll sit... More

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Smartphone controlled RC car

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Before the advent of video games and thousands of cars stunningly recreated in high polygon models on hundreds of detailed race tracks, we used to use a little thing known as imagination and a little suspension of disbelief to get virtual racing thrills.

Diecast cars were at the bottom of the tree, and slot cars followed a little futher up. Basking in the sun of the top branches though were the radio-controlled cars (not to be confused by the pedantic with remote control cars, which used a wire linking car and controller...).

From the smallest of desktop cars to iconic radio controlled vehicles like Tamiya's 'Lunchbox' and some of their amazingly detailed current range, one thing has always remained in common - a large plastic controller.

No longer: remote control via smartphone is the modern way, as demonstrated in the video below using a Nokia N8 touchscreen phone to control a MINI Cooper remote control car.

As you can see from the video, it doesn't even use anything as archaic as touching the screen to move the car - you move the car using the phone's motion sensors for going forwards, backwards, turning, and doing any crazy maneuver you can think of.

If you're like us it's sure to bring to mind scenes of phone-controlled cars like James Bond's 7-Series BMW in Tomorrow Never Dies. Even if the technology isn't quite there yet, you can still live our your fantasies in miniature.

And let's face it - for all the polygons and handling modelling, you still can't annoy people in an office with a videogame...