This guy transformed a C6 Corvette into an RC vehicle, and it is his daily driver.
Autonomous cars are becoming more popular in the auto industry. However, Bjorn Harms from the Netherlands has an autonomous Corvette. Harms, a computer technician, is capable of setting up motors and controllers to allow him to remotely drive his Corvette 2006. The ‘Vette is Harms’ daily driver, making the build even more impressive.
Harms’ work has been quite remarkable. He bought the Corvette two years ago and decided to create a remote-controlled-driving system for it with inspiration from Back to the Future. He created a universal motor controller to send commands to additional devices such as the accelerator, brakes and steering wheel. He also invented a fail-safe feature so that the ‘Vette will stop itself if it leaves the range of its remote control.
It took only a few days to get everything working. Harms stated that it took approximately a year to design the universal motor controller. Six months of prototyping and testing were required to ensure that everything was safe. He estimates that the total cost of the equipment was approximately 3,500 euros (or $4,062 at current exchange rate), which seems reasonable considering the amazing results.
Harms shows the setup in a parking lot empty. It works exactly as expected. Harms can even watch his car slide and donuts. You can even drive the Corvette in the passenger seat.
Cadillac’s recent announcement that it will offer the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system hands-free on models of other General Motors brands beginning in 2020 suggests that it may not take long before a fully self-driving Corvette is made available to dealers.