It seems that more and more advanced innovations that we have encountered in the movies are making an appearance in real life, showing the rapid growth of technology that is taking place today. If the previous Google autonomous car brings us to “I, Robot”, this one does not take us into the future. Instead, it features one of the Bond’s most impressive and modern gadgets ever; from the 1997 Tomorrow Never Dies, the handphone-controlled car.
James Bond 007- BMW 750iL - YouTube
Of course, do not expect rocket launchers or tire spikes to be hidden deep in the car, ready to go hot at the first sign of explosion and gunfire. These cars are actually the collaboration work of Dr. James Brighton, an expert in remotely controlled vehicles, and the makers of Reckless Racing 2 for a marketing campaign to showcase the Sony Xperia smartphone gaming capabilities.
Reckless Racing: For Real - YouTube
Having experienced in rigging a Hummer H3 so that it could be piloted remotely and successfully enabled internet users to test drive the Outlander Sport online for a Mitsubishi marketing campaign, Dr. Brighton did it again this time as he managed to rig two MG F roadsters in such a way that the cars’ steering, throttle and transmission mimic the gameplay on an Xperia Play and an Xperia S almost flawlessly.
And making the cars to handle exactly the same was not the only challenge; they would also have to find a spot where they could replicate a track in the game into the real deal. A dirt track at a former military base in Bentwaters did just the trick, and they even paid attention to the details of the track by adding up some obstacles and slippery corners.
Unfortunately, this was a one-off stunt as there is not much decommissioned air bases and MG Fs to play with. But if you have a bunch of old cars and a large space to play around with, why not try giving Dr. Brighton a call?
Sources:
Robotics And A Pair Of MG's Bring A Smartphone Racing Game To Life
Smartphone Racing Game Remotely Controls Real Cars | Autopia | Wired.com
