Real FX Racing

42523 Views 92 Replies 25 Participants Last post by Gareth, Aug 27, 2019

chris99

Discussion Starter · Jun 22, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

Anyone seen this in action? I was surprised I couldn't find any posts on this mini R/C project given that they say it's been in development for 6 years.

Reportedly, the cars run 4 hours on 3* AAA batteries, but they do look quite slow. The cars have front & back opto sensors and AI to help keep the car in the middle of the track.

There's a steering knob & trigger on the remote controllers as well as audio and a memory card slot for updates and new gameplay themes. There's also pacers and virtual hazards with promise of links to smart devices in the future.

It doesn't say how many cars it can handle*, but I think the 2.4ghz wireless system is what Oxigen & Scorpius are based on, so it could potentially handle quite a few channels.

I'm certainly not trying to promote it here, but for info it's now a Kickstarter funding project for a pilot production run. I keep hearing this name and I'm not sure of what it involves exactly. I guess there's a risk to losing all your money even when the project is fully funded? Anyway, it's maybe worth a look if only for geek interest.

Link & video

*Edit: I see on the comments page it only supports 4 cars. There's also some interesting comments about the risks of people photocopying the track, as it uses a reflective infrared gradient but they compare it to a badly pirated DVD!

41 - 60 of 93 Posts

DR STICKY

· #41 · Jul 18, 2014

Hi GUYS
tomato tomatoe call it what you want its not slot racing
I think its looks great and could take off (no pun intended to r/c planes)
I bet if you were to try and put his on a r/c forum they would say the same mmmm! its not r/c its????
could it be possible to put it to a vote to see if it needs a sub forum

Robbo

Flag Slot Racer

· #42 · Jul 18, 2014

Is is slot car racing? Since there is no slot, obviously not. However, it is trying to do the same thing, which is simulating motor racing on a small scale, but as opposed to RC, on a smaller scale that can be accomplished in a small(ish) room. I don't think including "guided" racing on this forum would in anyway water down the focus of the site. If anything, it would probably bring more people to the site and some fresh energy.

The future of slot racing is not doomed, but from what I have been able to see, it's not growing at a rate where it would get back to the status it had in it's heyday, while Real FX and similar systems seem to be taking off.

So I say having a sub forum is a good idea.

Heath

Chappy

· #43 · Jul 19, 2014

Hello Lads, I believe the tech issues have been sorted for you.
We now have for you, a sub forum in Digital, it is , Slotless Guided Racing.
we are just waiting for the owners to make it visible to you.
So now, you have your own place right here to talk about the slotless guided topic.

Please take advantage of it as we all would like to see it grow.
At any rate, I promised you an answer some time ago, and now you have it.
Enjoy
Bob

MrFlippant

· #44 · Jul 19, 2014

Excellent. Can't see it yet, but hopefully soon.
Thanks to the gents!

abie321

· #45 · Jul 21, 2014

2

Guys - when it opens -w e will move all the topics related to slotless racing - so you will need to look there for these threads

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1 32 slotter

· #46 · Jul 21, 2014

Cool... A place to post my scratch built magracing cars. Thanks for not giving up RichG......

Chappy

· #47 · Jul 25, 2014

Well lads here yo go , the new subforum is up and running.
My apologies for the delay.
I am at best a technodweeb hence still an analog guy.
In the world, of smoke and mirrors I am lost.
So its all, yours, to keep going.
Cheers
Bob

chris99

Discussion Starter · #48 · Sep 7, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

>link - Interesting insight into the current Real FX production pilot process on the ground in a Chinese manufacturing plant.

They now also have a licensing & distribution deal with a big, but as yet unnamed toy company.

carlosinseattle

· #49 · Sep 18, 2014

Another broken box of dreams. First rule of introducing a new product/service to the market is what question does it answer that the potential user is already asking? And I don;t know what it is in this situation. I know for sure that I wanted to be able to change lanes, and I also wanted to have more than 2 cars running at once; and digital does that for me. slotless cars were great, but you didn't have more than 2 to drive, and they were horrible to keep tuned up, so they stalled a lot.

But NO system that combines the free steering aspect of RC with the "play style" of slot cars will succeed. RC is RC; guiding a car with freedom is what you want. Slot cars are about speed and approximations of cars, where steering is left out of the equation. That is what it is.

With this system you don't have the freedom and flexibility of real RC, and you loose the speed factor of slot car racing. Slot car guys fundamentally like the idea of scale speeds of 200+mph, and the relatively slow reaction times/reflexes of human beings preclude our ability to actually steer a small car moving that quickly. If we had the reflexes of houseflies we could do it, but then we'd be too stupid to want to do it

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chris99

Discussion Starter · #50 · Nov 21, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

The production line is rolling. Amazing how labour intensive it is. And this is only for the final car assembly.
Looking forward to get my grubby mits on this system.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ElBM0iHCi6I?rel=0
>source

MrFlippant

· #51 · Nov 21, 2014

It's interesting to see the assembly line at work. I would imagine that if the product is especially successful that some of those processes would be automated to save cost, but they do look pretty efficient.

Chris, did you get in on the kickstarter?

chris99

Discussion Starter · #52 · Nov 21, 2014

Yep

The basic set with 2 cars plus some extra track. Didn't want to risk too much money as it's my first foray into Kickstarter

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dangermouse

· #53 · Nov 22, 2014

I am into slot cars more than RC cars but not because the cars run in a slot - it is because I can buy little recreations of my favourite cars and drive them around the track. I really don't mind whether they are guided by a slot or by RC - I find the slot more predictable to drive but if the cars that are available as slot cars where available under this system I have no doubt I would invest in it.

It looks cool - but I don't know if I will put a few hundred dollars down to buy cars that don't appeal to me.....

chris99

Discussion Starter · #54 · Nov 22, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

Initially, it will probably be up to the hobby community to produce alternative body shells.
RealFX did say they would release the CAD files for hobbyists to try out 3D body printing, but nothing concrete yet.

Here's some links to external 3rd party pics of a prototype of the 1:32 chassis and car. That's a steering servo upfront. More pics here.

Doesn't worry me, but it looks like there won't be room for any interior detail, so any alternative bodies might always have blackened windows. Ignoring the RC element, do you think this would alienate a big proportion of the slot scratch building community?

Chris

dangermouse

· #55 · Nov 22, 2014

Ignoring the RC element, do you think this would alienate a big proportion of the slot scratch building community?

I think so - one of the appeals of the modern slot cars is the detail and having an interior is part of that - a shallow tray and driver would be ok - I bought 3 of the Ninco cars with black windows when they were on like a 10 pound each special - worth that much for the running gear alone.

Lasp

· #56 · Dec 11, 2014

Nice tread. I am glad that some people understand that is a evolution ewen at this field.
How do the FX get Lap count to the computer!
Trying to figure that out.

chris99

Discussion Starter · #57 · Dec 12, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

5

Well it has finally arrived and it's great.

Nice & simple - 5 mins to lay the track, no wires, no smart phones, no PCs to worry about - just 2-way wireless hand controllers and cars!

It's bigger than I imagined. To get an idea of size, I overlaid a simple two-straight long Scalextric R2 oval and cars on the 12 piece Real FX starter set. Basically, it's similar in width and radius to a 4-lane Scalextric track with R2/R3 nested curves. Cars are also 1:32 scale.

The 12-piece starter track is about 3m long and the cars seem fast enough given the extra challenges of steering and reversing. I was lapping in 4.4 secs - developer's record is 3.4secs.

More to follow when I can get a truck load of AAA & AA batteries

and if Santa will turn a blind eye.

Chris

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dangermouse

· #58 · Dec 12, 2014

photo is broken Chris

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chris99

Discussion Starter · #59 · Dec 12, 2014

Thanks, should be ok now.

chris99

Discussion Starter · #60 · Dec 12, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

QUOTE (chris99 @ 12 Dec 2014, 13:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The 12-piece starter track is about 3m long
Just to be clear, the actual track length is around 8 metres for a complete lap.

41 - 60 of 93 Posts

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