An iPhone app to drive a car has been created by computer scientists (I was going to say commuter scientists) in Germany. The "driver" can operate Spirit of Berlin the steering, brakes, and accelerator pedal by simply tilting and stroking their iPhone.
A video camera placed on the dashboard transmits a signal to the iPhone, which allows the 'remote driver' to see everything in front of the car and adjust the car's movements accordingly.
The commands are transmitted from the iPhone via radio to the power transmission in the car. The user can park a car on the ground level as far away as the fourth floor of a building.
Both the remote control and car dubbed 'Spirit of Berlin' were constructed by the Artificial Intelligence Group at Freie Universität in Berlin.
(iPhone app lets you drive your car video)
I'm sure there must be older examples of the idea of driving a car remotely than the 1997 James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies, but it also had a very nicely imagined remote driving application for his service-issued BMW (see illustration below).
(Remote control for a car from James Bond Tomorrow Never Dies)
Now, the unfailing suave 007 shows German engineers the proper way of driving a car via remote video application:
(Video of Tomorrow Never Dies car chase by remote control)
From Mail Online; thanks to Moira for the tip and the reference!
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/31/2009)
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