With chauffeurs becoming expensive, one might well turn tech savvy to run cars wirelessly.
Students of Ilahia College of Engineering and Technology, Muvattupuzha, used cell phone technology to convert a Maruti 800 into a remote-controlled car.
They have named it Thor – a god associated with thunder and lightning in Norse mythology. The initiative was part of the final year project of electrical and electronics engineering students. They have made a video of the car being steered in an open ground sans a driver.
“Furthermore, the car can be operated from anywhere in the world, through a video call using a 3G cell phone. The vehicle can also be driven manually. At first, we converted the petrol-driven car into an electric car using a lead-acid battery. Then methods to steer it remotely using a cell phone were developed. The car will operate only if a secret number is typed into the phone,” said Basil Baby, a team member.
The operation is based on a control signal generator. Once this is linked with the phone, the car can be driven around as easily as in a video game. The car can muster speeds of up to 40 kms per hour. The car uses electric motors to run and microcontrollers identify signals.
The project cost around Rs.1 lakh, he said. The other team members are Ajith, Azhar, Vipin, Anjali, Chinju, Cilna and Namitha.
The project guides were Sooraj N M and Joy Paul, teachers at the college. More details are available at: www.facebook.com/
ThorThe ElectricCar.
