ONLINE BATTLETANK! or "webcamerabattletank with paintballgun over the web" Created: 7th April 2005 It all started while I was visiting the PlayNOW! forums, a friendly poster from Sweden posted a thread about a remote control tank which operates over the internet. Go to the forum link above for the full explanation of his system: http://www.playnow.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=011054;p=1#000013 I myself had been looking for something like this the last couple of days, like a light the user can control from your website on and off, but a tank, that moves 360 degrees, has a laser light, shoots paintgun balls and a web camera that moves up and down, left and right , all operating wirelessly?! JESUS CHRIST! Let me introduce Magnus Ivarssons, a 41 year old university student based in Lund, Sweden and his prototype battletank.
Images courtesy of Magnus He has built an amazing invention which is the 2nd prototype of a remote control tank which he has put his "blood, sweat and tears" into. It shows, I can tell you that, and is what I will be discussing below. When Magnus posted on the forums he was asking for Australian and New Zealanders volunteers to test his battle tank bandwidth over the internet, I was very happy to accept the offer! Magnus notes that I was the first user to try the battletank down under. I was very excited and could not wait to get home to start trying it out. To control the battletank, its simply through your browser with keyboard and mouse combinations as follows: "You use: Keys: The browser provides a wireless webcam feed from the camera mounted on the tank and is fullscreen! For more information check out his website link at the bottom of this page for movies, screenshots and info about this amazing achievement!
After many hours I finally got home, here is how it went down: I have included my own screenshots to document the adventure, which is my view, on the tank. MSN: (unedited but cut down from the full thing) BLADEY says: - The Camera only supports Internet Explorer at the moment as it uses an ActiveX control program, so after I switched over from Firefox and it installed we were ready to go! BLADEY says:
Hi Magnus! (click for fullsize) - At this point I finally got the controllable camera view, but... Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - It seems it didn't like a firewall when I tried to control it so I changed my connection and switched it off and BINGO! Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - Magnus then connected the moving parts to the tank and I was moments away from steering it! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
I could move it left and right! (click for fullsize) - You just have to see it to believe it! BLADEY says: - So I finally got control and it moved! Please excuse my excitement. Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - A bit, too much excitment... Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - Magnus was very excited that the bandwidth connection was fast, I was too :) Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Pushing the door! (click for fullsize) - He let me drive around his computer room and his kitchen BLADEY says: (as you can see above, I pushed the door to get into the kitchen) - I was actually INTERACTING with the environment! It was just surreal. I WAS INTOXICATED WITH EXCITEMENT! (hi socko) Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - Yes thats right he can freaking call back! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
First blackout. (click for fullsize) - It froze sometimes, due to radio blackouts with the remote controller, but thats to be expected! BLADEY says:
The rot dot aiming guide. (click for fullsize) - A red laser to help aim! awesome! BLADEY says: - Magnus seemed to jump around alot, I can understand his excitement, this was fantastic! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Magnus points to the two laser targets. (click for fullsize) - He had those laser targets like you have in that game kids play with the guns and reflective sensors, which he shows me. BLADEY says:
Magnus waving in excitement#!@~ (camera tilts up) (click for fullsize) - The shock of controlling something around the world was still amazing at this point :) Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - Shooting a paintball gun from across the world on a tank wirelessly, jesus :P, I then saw another door... Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - I crashed into several random things in his room, so he forced me to BACK OUT!!! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
The bottle. (click for fullsize) - He setup the paintball gun on manual for one shot at a time with a bottle target. Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - I would too! BLADEY says:
You can see the red dot and the bottle moving being hit. (click for fullsize) - It actually shot! Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - Hitting him in the process :PP Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Removing the rubber balls and inserting real paintballs. (click for fullsize) - I get to drive and shoot the tank outside! Just like a real tank!! AWESOME! You can see the paintball gun ammo he is holding and loading into the gun. Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
I drove it into the kitchen, he opened the door, hopped into his boots and urged me to come outside! (click for fullsize) - I had to get some assistance when trying to drive the tank, it is very sensitive. I then aimed at his outside bottle. Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Aiming... hit! (yellow marker) (click for fullsize) - You can see the yellow/green marks it made on the bottle and walls! BLADEY says:
Drove in for a close-up! (click for fullsize) - See! BLADEY says:
The 3 targets, shooting 3 shots then hitting them! BAM! (click for fullsize) - Then he setup small targets for me to shoot down! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Magnus says: "you scared the shit out of me" (click for fullsize) - While putting a board under the tank for smoother movements, I accidentally hit the fire key, almost hitting him!!! hahahahaha BLADEY says: - I think I was too hyped though to care :P (below) BLADEY says:
Looking around... ooh a car! Magnus says: "pleace dont shoot my car" (click for fullsize) - He then let me turn 360 degrees around to see outside, I aimed at his car. Magnus {RemoteWar} says: - HA HA GOOD FUN YES! BLADEY says: - Then he changed it to automatic fire!! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Automatic fire: Aiming (click for fullsize)
Automatic fire: FIRING!! (click for fullsize)
Automatic fire: 10 shots! (sorry about the wall?) (click for fullsize) - 10 Shots in one burst!! BLADEY says: - As you can see in the screenshot... Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Aiming bottle... bam bam! (see the smokey stuff coming out?) (click for fullsize) - I then shot the outside bottle with auto again! Magnus {RemoteWar} says:
Bang. (click for fullsize) - Magnus then took it inside and I played around with bit a it more with the laser and we chatted about it...
Back we go! (click for fullsize) Links: http://www.gamereality.se/ - Battletank website. http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,604573,00.html - A newspaper article about Magnus and his tank. http://www.roaringsnake.com/misc/tankmovie.wmv - 10mb movie. Download this to see how it actually moves and shoots! (Windows Media Player format, compressed down from Magnus' original 41mb version). http://www.gamereality.se/tank1medium.htm - Take a look from the tanks point of view (no control allowed) Login: tank1test / pass IE ONLY Summary: As Magnus describes on his website, this has incredible potential, just think about it. Having multiple tanks at once battling each other outside in the woods? It must be an amazing feeling of achievement for Magnus to have someone from the other side of the world traveling around your house and shooting paintballs, knowing that a real person is on the other side of that camera, and it being something you built yourself. If you haven't guessed it yet, no, I haven't got over it yet. At a cost of around $2,700 Australian Dollar's, I don't think I will be attempting this myself! Magnus says his next project will be an airplane with paintguns attached! Is he crazy or what? If anyone wants to try the battletank for themselves, especially anyone in Australia or New Zealand, Magnus says he is happy to let you try it for yourself, just go to his website and follow the links. This was a very awesome experience, and would like to thank Magnus for letting me try out his prototype and to be the first Aussie to do so!
Thankyou! (click for fullsize) Forum Discussions: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56849 http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=74918&hl=gamereality http://www.playnow.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=011054 http://www.womengamers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11660 http://www.neoseeker.com/forums/index.php?fn=view_thread&t=498137 http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=74918&hl=gamereality
- Tom Walker
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