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Plantraco Desktop Rover
By TinyRC
Plantraco manufactures a diverse array of RC products, from blimps, to tanks, to tiny video cameras. We got a pair of their Desktop Rovers to check them out. The Rovers measure only 4" long, and take 2 3V lithium 123 cells, plus a 9V for the transmitter. Unlike most RCs, these batteries will last for days and days. The tank is no speed demon, but what it lacks in top end, it more than makes up for in torque.
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If your desks are anything like ours, you'll have a blast rolling over your piles of "ToDos" and pushing coffee cups around. But it gets even more fun if you have two - thanks to the built-in laser tag game! Using IR beams, the two tanks can shoot at each other while maneuvering around, great fun just about anywhere you can think of around the house or office. But - it gets even cooler - Plantraco's PTV16C Videocam and special Desktop Rover enclosure takes the tank to a whole new level. With a pocket TV (or any other TV for that matter), you can control the Desktop Rover from another room, from the point of view of the tank itself! Using the cams, the laser tag game takes on a whole new dimension, you're in the tank, and you're about to get shot if you don't think fast!
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The Videocam delivers high quality color video to any TV (shown here on B&W pocket TV).
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Just when we thought the Desktop Rover couldn't possibly get any better, we hooked up the Telecommander software. This lets you connect the Rover's transmitter to your PC, and control it remotely, as well as write scripts which can be saved and replayed to have the tank perform command sequences with no human intervention required! Within a few minutes, we had a simple laser tag opponent program running so that we could effectively play against the computer!
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The Desktop Rover is shorter than a Mini-Z, and about as wide as a Bit Char-G.
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The Plantraco Desktop Rover is great value, and fantastic fun. It's the perfect desk toy, and there are enough additions available to keep it interesting for a long time. They are available directly from the manufacturer via their web site:
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Plantraco Official Web Site >>
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