Disney's prototype RC car defies gravity, drives up walls

[Shawn Knight]

HPI, Losi and Traxxas are among the top brands in the radio-controlled (RC) world but none of them have a product quite as impressive as VertiGo, a wall-climbing RC car from Disney Research and ETH Zurich.

In fairness, VertiGo is perhaps better classified as a robot than a true RC car. The prototype shown in the clip above uses a pair of adjustable propellers to create enough thrust to allow it to defy gravity and seemingly drive up walls. While immensely cool as an RC car, odds are that the technology will likely be implemented in rescue robots and the like.

Found is a TechSpot feature where we share clever, funny or otherwise interesting stuff from around the web.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/63286-disney-prototype-rc-car-defies-gravity-drives-up.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

That's pretty cool

 

[Uncle Al]

Aw heck, I had an x-wife that could do that with a full sized Mercury! Of course I'll bet that little car dosen't cost nearly as much to insure after the first crash!

 

[infiltrator]

That is a pretty cool thing?

 

[LNCPapa]

It is

 

[VDD65]

The propeller push the machine against the wall so it can climb.

 

[TomSEA]

Very clever. No doubt they'll figure out some practical applications for it soon enough.

 

[umbala]

Do want!

 

[VitalyT]

Wow!

Now that is one fine piece of robotics! And I'm not amazed often

Looking at its size and agility, I think Flea would be the proper name for it

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It's a cool gadget, I can see myself playing with one.

 

[VitalyT]

I think this is just the beginning, a prototype. To be used practically it will need its plastic gears replaced with aluminium ones, to keep the weight the same and avoid quick wear on gear joins. Then it will be invincible!

 

[Uncle Al]

Anybody old enough to remember the old Andy Granatelli indy car that used the same technology to allow the car to run constantly over 200 mph through the turns? It worked great until it didn't .....

 

[risc32]

Anybody old enough to remember the old Andy Granatelli indy car that used the same technology to allow the car to run constantly over 200 mph through the turns? It worked great until it didn't .....

I don't remember that specific car, but I do remember another that worked like tho and was subsequently banned. I'm just not as impressed as you guy with this. People did this at great speed decades ago with humans lives at risk. Also my kids airhogz rc car has been driving around on my walls for a few yrs now, so pardon me if I don't get as excited.

 

[Adhmuz]

The propeller push the machine against the wall so it can climb.

Thank You Captain Obvious! Your work here is done, on to the next situation you can point out the obvious, Captain Obvious Away!

Anybody old enough to remember the old Andy Granatelli indy car that used the same technology to allow the car to run constantly over 200 mph through the turns? It worked great until it didn't .....

AKA Fan cars or Ground Effects, Chaparral had some truly out of this world designs which had tremendous potential, too bad they were also outrageously dangerous. It wasn't exactly the same technology as this RC car, Chaparral relied on sucking the car to the ground and not merely blowing it downwards with large fans, which is why it was so dangerous, loose that vacuum effect around a bend and your gone, nothing you could do, reason why this technology got banned when it did.

 

[wastedkill]

Defies gravity, you mean exactly like every plane, boat, jet does....

 

[SirGCal]

Won't defy anything now: That I can see anyhow:

'This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by drapermusic'