Russian Enthusiasts Modify Car to Be Controlled via iPad

MacRumors · Mar 13, 2013, 11:31 AM

A group of Russian car enthusiasts announced on their blog (translated via Red Hot Russia) that they have modified a car to be controlled remotely by an iPad.

The group used an iPad 3 and created an app to control the car via a host of added electronic components to control the acceleration, steering, braking and gear shifting in addition to seeing the road from the perspective of the car.

Quote:

While doing tests outside, I froze like a dog. Besides, the tablet screen quickly becomes wet and fingers numb and lose sensitivity, making tapping on the screen more difficult. Also, in the street it's difficult to see clearly the picture from the rear view mirror - the screen brightness is not sufficient. Plus the windshield is quickly covered with snow.

The car was initially called the "James Bond Car," inspired by a scene from Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies" where Bond controls his car with a phone. After the initial test, they started referring to the car as "Opel Virta," a play on the model of the car, which is an Opel Vectra.

The iPad-controlled setup is actually transferrable to any car with an automatic transmission that houses a direct transmission selector, which means that controls like "drive," "neutral," "reverse" and "park" are in a straight line.

Article Link: Russian Enthusiasts Modify Car to Be Controlled via iPad

sulpfiction · Mar 13, 2013, 11:37 AM

If only I had the time!

ProwlingTiger · Mar 13, 2013, 11:39 AM

At the risk of getting in trouble, I'm doubling down.

shartypants · Mar 13, 2013, 11:40 AM

Neat idea, but crappy video. I was expecting to see them on some kind of race track.

SmileyBlast! · Mar 13, 2013, 11:46 AM

Cool but dangerous. You need the tactile depth of touch of the steering wheel and the pedals to feel the road and control the car.

You lose perspective trying to do this with an iPad.
There is this scene in a James Bond movie where he controls his car during a high-speed chase from the back seat with his cell phone touch screen.
It was cool but completely unbelievable.

Most people couldn't do it.

Jayomat · Mar 13, 2013, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmileyBlast!

Cool but dangerous. You need the tactile depth of touch of the steering wheel and the pedals to feel the road and control the car.

You lose perspective trying to do this with an iPad.
There is this scene in a James Bond movie where he controls his car during a high-speed chase from the back seat with his cell phone touch screen.
It was cool but completely unbelievable.

Most people couldn't do it.

you don't say?!

baryon · Mar 13, 2013, 12:17 PM

Gotta love Russia

Makosuke · Mar 13, 2013, 12:18 PM

It would take some practice, and you wouldn't be able to drive as well as someone sitting behind the wheel with full force-feedback from the controls, but with sufficient practice you most certainly could handle a car outfitted (properly) with a system like this under normal, and even moderately challenging conditions.

I'm not saying it should be street-legal, and I'd certainly not want somebody controlling it anywhere remotely near other people unless they were physically in the car, but you certainly could do remote performance driving if you spent enough time getting a feel for it and had a way to visualize lateral G-force.

And regardless, I totally want one. I have no idea what I would do with it, but I want one.

JAT · Mar 13, 2013, 12:20 PM

This seems a lot more like the van in Oceans 11 than James Bond's car.

Also, someone tell them that CVTs exist now. Better choice for starting out.

KdParker · Mar 13, 2013, 12:25 PM

Sounds dangerous

Mr. Retrofire · Mar 13, 2013, 12:40 PM

In America you control the iPad in a car. In soviet russia, the iPad controls your car.

;-)

whooleytoo · Mar 13, 2013, 01:14 PM

Having seen some crazy road-rage incidents from Russian dash-cams, I'm not surprised they've figured out how to drive without being in the car!

jm001 · Mar 13, 2013, 01:25 PM

Vodka, an iPad and an unmanned vehicle... yup this'll end well.

iChrist · Mar 13, 2013, 01:56 PM

Finally a thread where those stupid car analogies are appropriate.

iheartiphone4 · Mar 13, 2013, 02:07 PM

Now filmmakers don't need stunt people to drive there cars. Another job destroyed by the iPad.

ijohn.8.80 · Mar 13, 2013, 05:37 PM

In Mother Russia car drives you

ConCat · Mar 13, 2013, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Retrofire

In America you control the iPad in a car. In soviet russia, the iPad controls your car.

;-)

In soviet Russia, iPad drives you!

mrsir2009 · Mar 13, 2013, 10:34 PM

This'll be good to assassinate people.

herr_neumann · Mar 14, 2013, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmileyBlast!

Most people couldn't do it.

Most people aren't James Bond....

SmileyBlast! · Mar 14, 2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herr_neumann

Most people aren't James Bond....

I just notice that a lot of our consumer electronics are inspired by movies like Star Trek and James Bond.

Not everyone is Captain Kirk or James Bond but they are our heroes. And we can haz their tech.

Squilly · Mar 14, 2013, 09:31 AM

Lol! Russians...
Cool idea, very impractical though.

unplugme71 · Mar 15, 2013, 01:06 PM

The idea of remotely controlling your car is pretty cool but should never be allowed on public roads. Although it would be cool to not have to wait for valet service and drive your car right up to the door to pick you up.

ZSipos · Mar 20, 2013, 10:14 AM

Hello everyone,

I hope you don't mind if I share with you, that the Dension WiRc system could do this without too much hacking

)
8PWM channels and live video stream on WiFi, app available fot both iOS and Android.
wirc.dension.com

Regards,

Zoltan

Mar 13, 2013, 11:39 AM	#3
ProwlingTiger macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: - TEXAS -	At the risk of getting in trouble, I'm doubling down. __________________ Redesigned! - DVS Photo \| the Davis Revolution \| Yes, I have Apple stuff
	0

Mar 13, 2013, 11:40 AM	#4
shartypants macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2010	Neat idea, but crappy video. I was expecting to see them on some kind of race track. __________________ MacBook Pro 15", iPad 3, iPhone 5 Favorite productivity app: UltraList Plus
	2

Mar 13, 2013, 11:46 AM	#5
SmileyBlast! macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2011	Cool but dangerous. You need the tactile depth of touch of the steering wheel and the pedals to feel the road and control the car. You lose perspective trying to do this with an iPad. There is this scene in a James Bond movie where he controls his car during a high-speed chase from the back seat with his cell phone touch screen. It was cool but completely unbelievable. Most people couldn't do it. __________________ Smiley Blast! game play video http://youtu.be/N0QD4KS5Ccw Like this:http://facebook.com/smileyBlastGame Follow: http://twitter.com/smiley_blast Buy This: http://appstore.com/smileyblast
	2

Mar 13, 2013, 12:17 PM	#7
baryon macrumors 68020 Join Date: Oct 2009	Gotta love Russia __________________ Sent from my iPod Shuffle
	2

Mar 13, 2013, 12:20 PM	#9
JAT macrumors 601 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Mpls, MN	This seems a lot more like the van in Oceans 11 than James Bond's car. Also, someone tell them that CVTs exist now. Better choice for starting out. __________________ -- Spiky
	0

Mar 13, 2013, 11:37 AM	#2
sulpfiction macrumors 68000 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Philadelphia Area	If only I had the time!
	0

Mar 13, 2013, 12:18 PM	#8
Makosuke macrumors 603 Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: The Cool Part of CA, USA	It would take some practice, and you wouldn't be able to drive as well as someone sitting behind the wheel with full force-feedback from the controls, but with sufficient practice you most certainly could handle a car outfitted (properly) with a system like this under normal, and even moderately challenging conditions. I'm not saying it should be street-legal, and I'd certainly not want somebody controlling it anywhere remotely near other people unless they were physically in the car, but you certainly could do remote performance driving if you spent enough time getting a feel for it and had a way to visualize lateral G-force. And regardless, I totally want one. I have no idea what I would do with it, but I want one.
	0

Mar 13, 2013, 12:25 PM	#10
KdParker macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2010	Sounds dangerous __________________ 16g iPhone5 Black ; 16g iPhone5 White; 15" retina - MBP 2.6 GHZ 16 RAM; iPad4 retina
	1

Mar 13, 2013, 12:40 PM	#11
Mr. Retrofire macrumors 68040 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Inside a book.	In America you control the iPad in a car. In soviet russia, the iPad controls your car. ;-) __________________ OS X 10.9 and iOS 7 delayed. Haswell Q3/Q4 2013. -------------------- “Only the dead have seen the end of the war.” -- Plato --
	4

Mar 13, 2013, 01:14 PM	#12
whooleytoo macrumors 603 Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cork, Ireland.	Having seen some crazy road-rage incidents from Russian dash-cams, I'm not surprised they've figured out how to drive without being in the car! __________________ Mac <- Macintosh <- McIntosh apples <- John McIntosh <- McIntosh surname <- "Mac an toshach" <- "Son of the Chief"
	3

Mar 13, 2013, 01:25 PM	#13
jm001 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2011	Vodka, an iPad and an unmanned vehicle... yup this'll end well.
	2

Mar 13, 2013, 01:56 PM	#14
iChrist macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: 3 countries for tax benefit	Finally a thread where those stupid car analogies are appropriate.
	0

Mar 13, 2013, 02:07 PM	#15
iheartiphone4 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: La Crosse, WI	Now filmmakers don't need stunt people to drive there cars. Another job destroyed by the iPad. __________________ Joe Roraff http://www.NoCoincidenceStudios.com http://www.LaCrossesRealEstate.com
	1

Mar 13, 2013, 05:37 PM	#16
ijohn.8.80 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Adelaide, South Australia.	In Mother Russia car drives you __________________ “An idiot with a small environmental footprint is still an idiot" - Officer John Cooper (LAPD) MacRumors Scavenger Hunt Part IV - 2 points
	0

Mar 13, 2013, 10:34 PM	#18
mrsir2009 macrumors 604 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand	This'll be good to assassinate people. __________________ How to Prevent your Mac from Overheating
	0

Mar 14, 2013, 09:31 AM	#21
Squilly In Time-Out Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: PA	Lol! Russians... Cool idea, very impractical though.
	0

Mar 15, 2013, 01:06 PM	#22
unplugme71 macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011	The idea of remotely controlling your car is pretty cool but should never be allowed on public roads. Although it would be cool to not have to wait for valet service and drive your car right up to the door to pick you up. __________________ Mid-2010 15" MBP ML, 64GB iPhone 5 (AT&T), 64GB iPad Mini (AT&T), 8GB iPod Nano
	0

Mar 20, 2013, 10:14 AM	#23
ZSipos macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2013	It can be done almost lug-and-play Hello everyone, I hope you don't mind if I share with you, that the Dension WiRc system could do this without too much hacking) 8PWM channels and live video stream on WiFi, app available fot both iOS and Android. wirc.dension.com Regards, Zoltan
	0


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