Technabob » radio control

Micro Rc Helicopters Are a Perfect Way to Waste Time at the Office

Range — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:11:42 +0000

I have to say that I have always wanted to pilot a radio-controlled helicopter, though I’ve learned that doing so isn’t as easy as I initially had thought. Experienced R/C pilots have told me that helicopters are really hard to pilot. This is why I love these new Blade ‘copters, which are made for beginners.

These miniature radio-controlled helicopters are available in a variety of different designs for all skill levels, from beginners to pros. Naturally, I immediately was drawn to the pro ‘copters, which look awesome and must go pretty fast.

But then I realized this: I don’t want to spend $500 to $600 and waste it if I crash my R/C helicopter. That’s why the beginner models are fine and dandy. On top of that, you can fly them indoors. That must be fun!

The E-Flite Blade is the model that I’m talking about, and it’s available for $120 (USD). Plus, it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

Horizon Hobby has a bunch of other micro helicopter models available, with prices ranging from $79.99 for the basic mCX S300 model to $229.99 for the top-of-the-line Blade CP Pro 2.

Shocking Tanks Let You Feel the Agony of Defeat

Lambert Varias — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:39:50 +0000

Do you want to teach your kids to become competitive? Then get a set of these radio-controlled shocking tanks, and in no time at all they will appreciate the value of winning. Instead of bullets or shells, the tanks fire infrared beams; whenever a tank is “hit” by the other tank, the person controlling it will receive a mild shock via the controller.

Here’s a nice video of a loving family repeatedly shocking their elder:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can order the shocking tanks at Amazon for $50 (USD). The shocking comes at a price though: you’ll need a total of 12 batteries – 6 AAA and 6 AA – to operate the tanks, so you better have a bunch of rechargeable batteries ready if you want the fun to last. And here’s another tip: switch the controllers so your opponent would get shocked whenever they hit your tank. That’ll teach ‘em!

[via Funniest Gadgets]

Controlling an Rc Vehicle With the Wii-Mote

Technabob — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:52:04 +0000

Now that the Nintendo Wii has been on the market for a little while, we’re starting to see to truly cool hacks using the Wii remote’s motion and accelerometer sensors to control things other than the original console. Here’s one I thought was particularly fun. Some guy over in Austria did some clever work to get his Wii-mote to control a little RC vehicle.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It looks like the remote is being used to control a laptop via Bluetooth, then a serial connection to the RC car’s controller is driven by that data in real time. Be sure to stick around ’til the end of the video to see it in action. Personally, I can’t wait to see what other cool hacks show up in the future.

[via Engadget]