This remote control car can go anywhere with 3G service

Remote control cars can be a lot of fun. There’s just something about guiding a little vehicle with the push of a button and watching it happily zip around wherever your heart desires. But there’s always a limitation in terms of range. Until now.

Emil Kalstø has built a small vehicle that can be controlled over a cellular network. As such, he can send the car anywhere it can pick up 3G (or 4G) service.

This is not a typical remote control car that you give your child to drive around the block. This little guy comes with a camera able to turn approximately 230 degrees mounted on a small servo motor, a Raspberry Pi with a Node.js app running the show, and even Kalstø’s little brother to ensure nothing goes wrong:

Kalstø doesn’t provide much information beyond what’s in the video. Some quick searching around, however, suggests this rover wasn’t build in 2016. Kalstø apparently created the rover over two years ago and has simply documented the old project now with the above video.

The car is powered by two batteries that can apparently last for 20 to 25 hours of continuous use; a 30w 24v chain-driven DC motor, which means the vehicle maxes out at “approximately walking speed;” and a Huawei 3G USB dongle. This isn’t a racing car; it is very much meant for long, exploratory treks. It’s even mounted with a hazard light, just in case.

The car’s forward, reverse, and steering are all conducted using an Xbox controller. Everything the car sees is displayed on Kalstø’s TV, and he does all the controlling from his couch.

In this day and age, many are concerned about the implications of drones becoming extremely affordable. Now imagine a world where drones are not just affordable, but can be flown anywhere there is cellular service…