The future

[cheshirecat]

I was thinking we're do we think rc will be in say 20 years time ? What do people think we will see ? Apart from our current cars being run in the vintage class !!!

[fidspeed]

im in my early fifties and still racing and playing with toy cars

I probably will be watching from heaven :thumbdown: (or hell)

dave

[RobW]

Thinking back over the last 20 years I am not sure things have really changed that significantly so i wonder if they will actually change that much in the next 20.

Sure cars have got faster, stronger and relatively cheaper but if we take electric off road as an example then we are still typically qualifying over four 5 minutes qualifiers to stake a claim in a 10 car final as we did 20 years ago.

Battery, motor and esc technology has moved on and things like 2.4g radios and personal PT have made racing easier but they have not fundementally changed what do.

Just realised I raced my first electric off road buggy at a club about 35 years ago and on Sunday (weather permitting) I will be racing at that same club albeit with a couple of name changes along the way. The basis format of the day will be exactly the same. One thing though is they say practice makes perfect, they are wrong, I am still not going to win:lol:

Rob

[danDanEFC]

Mind controlled cars

Wireless charging

But still going through 1 set of tires a day!

[fidspeed]

"Mind controlled cars"

having watched lots of racing I think we there already because there sure not controlled by thumbs :woot:


dave

[buggy#0]

I don't think it'll be long before motors, servos, speedos and receivers go wireless - things will be a case of binding like a 2.4G radio set instead of soldering. Everything will also keep reducing in size, so we'll be able to have more optimised chassis layouts.

But still going through 1 set of tires a day!
You jest, but things like tyre technology will be big areas for development. Rubber is rubber in the end, but I can foresee tyres lasting a lot longer than they do now. Carcass structures and contact patch/tread designs will probably be a lot more specialised for certain conditions.

[cmgreen]

I think the next thing will be the motor/esc combination team Orion have come up with

[DAVO]

Drones

[Ashlandchris]

You jest, but things like tyre technology will be big areas for development. Rubber is rubber in the end, but I can foresee tyres lasting a lot longer than they do now. Carcass structures and contact patch/tread designs will probably be a lot more specialised for certain conditions.

Call me a cynic, but I'm not sure that tyre manufacturers will want to spend too much money developing a tyre that lasts too long...

[buggy#0]

Call me a cynic, but I'm not sure that tyre manufacturers will want to spend too much money developing a tyre that lasts too long...
They can compensate by making wheels that disintegrate after one run. :p

[Ross]

True, but the manufactures can make a surface (carpet/Astro) that allows the tyre to last. I can do at least 4 meetings on one set of tyres on the surface I race on 👍🏻👍🏻

[DAVO]

Little micro cameras on the buggy so we can have FPV racing like the drones

[DynaMight]

I think (hope) that there be some kind of unified communication between transmitters and ESC's to allow ESC setup & datalogging and by unified, I mean you can use a Sanwa transmitter with a HW ESC but still programme it.

Going on from transmitters, I assume we're not far away from either full touchscreen setting panels or ones that have no screen but can be programmed via a phone app. It's not a massive step but could be useful, especially for sharing settings, updating firmware with improved/new features etc.

For offroad, I'm not sure we need to go any faster or have the batteries last longer, obviously if a newer battery technology came out that wasnt quite as volatile as Lipo, that would be nice. Apart from the small improvements, I'm not sure what can be done to the chassis to make offroad drastically quicker?

[Ashlandchris]

Going on from transmitters, I assume we're not far away from either full touchscreen setting panels or ones that have no screen but can be programmed via a phone app.


Absima cr4t has full touch screen already 😀

[discostu]

Intelligent handset esc

What I mean is the system learns your driving style and adjust settings to compensate what imputs are being done like a drive by wire system now that would be cool

[fivepointnine]

Little micro cameras on the buggy so we can have FPV racing like the drones

This is where I see it eventually heading. Along with new/better battery technologies.

[xfactor]

It will be a full circle. Back to REAR motors as manufacturers have no more options to place the motor or batteries......:thumbsup:

[James]

Have you ever tried FPV with a car? They're far too fast to meaningfully race :woot:

Drone racing will expand I'm sure, but cars will still be a spectator sport.

The venues will dictate where it goes I think, will we still be racing on astroturf? Or will someone come up with a better cost effective surface? Probably not!

Tyres, aerodynamics, electrics, it'll all improve, but marginal gains I think!

Maybe a few more permanent indoor venues?

[Welshy40]

Batteries and charging, instead of 40 minutes, maybe it will take only ten minutes. Better motor technology so they dont get as warm and still go fast. Jet powered buggies would be fun.

[Ben The Bike]

It will be a full circle. Back to REAR motors as manufacturers have no more options to place the motor or batteries......:thumbsup:

Haven't losi released a new 22 that has a WIDER chassis recently, as it is better than a thin chassis ,which were better than an old wide chassis:lol:

[vrooom]

oh god, wireless charging would be great ! ESC setting read out and adjust via touchscreen transmitter whilst all non proprietary. and adjustable length servo wires (male to male?) you could plug in servo.

[andys]

Few things i reckon we will see.

1_Many more female / girls racing. Malin Karlsen is doing a great job and Xray have had the foresight to see it's a great PR story backing her.

2_Everything will be linked to your phone - ESC's already are - All transmitters will be too and hopefully your PT will be too so you can see / hear / record your laps and more.

3_Wireless - no more wires anywhere apart from maybe the Lipo.

4_If Lipo / Battery technology becomes much more advanced - we may see different shapes and sizes - or even Lipo's that are built into the chassis etc.

5_More advanced materials - lighter / stronger.

6_On board telemetry that can make changes to the car as it's running - more intelligent servos and esc's etc.

7_Aerodynamics will become more important - lower faster cars as components become smaller / lighter.

8_Suspension / springs and oil is still very old school - maybe we will see technology impact on this like with full size cars.

9_RC racing has become more 'professional' over the last few years and I reckon this will continue as the hobby / sport becomes more widely known and available to watch online etc.

10_If the entire car is 'wired' - image being able to download a setup sheet online and simply up-load it to your car - no more spanners :)

[RLGfx]

I'd quite like to see some development of tyres... How long have we been using minispikes for? One run on a high grip track and they are boned... Surely someone can come up with something better, and then surely someone can convince the BRCA to change the rules a bit...

[cmgreen]

I'd quite like to see some development of tyres... How long have we been using minispikes for? One run on a high grip track and they are boned... Surely someone can come up with something better, and then surely someone can convince the BRCA to change the rules a bit...

Think you can propose a change of rules, u just need to be at the brca amg.

I would like to see 8 min racing!

[mark christopher]

wheel chair friendly rostrums, if we don't get more juniors taking up rc racing then it will be us same guys old and buggered with zimmer frames and wheel chairs

[cjm_2008]

In 5-10 years we'll see batteries with capacities capable of doing a full race meeting - including practice - on a single charge. They'll be expensive but you'll only need one, and maybe a cheaper pack just in case you want extended practice.

Like AndyS says, the form factor may also change. Maybe it won't be a slab as we're used to, but something integrated into the chassis itself for optimised weight distribution.

Actually, we're not far off that right now.

I also agree with him on dampers. Perhaps there'll be a shift towards self-sustaining kineto-electromagnetic systems and away from fluid based systems. Or even a ferrofluid that can alter its viscosity on demand using some clever filament alignment technology.

Motors might become smaller. Esc units will definitely become smaller, with built in wireless chips enabling remote programming (again, we already have this, but with separate modules).

Edit - Hub motors are already here. Imagine not having a diff to maintain or gear ratios to mess with...

Advances in 3d printing will open up home brew prototype chassis and revolutionize parts distribution. We'll be able to buy a licence for the print files from the manufacturer & print off our own spares, or pay a small premium to have our local model shop print them off for us. And they'll be stronger and lighter than the injection moulded parts we use now!

I'm waiting for wireless charging for my LEAF. That's only a few years away. We'll look back at all these wires and laugh. Imagine a fully integrated setup stand that also contains a wireless charging induction loop & all the charging hardware. That would be sweet.

[vrooom]

Hopefully Losi learnt thier lesson on fixing TLR22 steering... lol

[DAVO]

Have you ever tried FPV with a car? They're far too fast to meaningfully race :woot:

Drone racing will expand I'm sure, but cars will still be a spectator sport.

The venues will dictate where it goes I think, will we still be racing on astroturf? Or will someone come up with a better cost effective surface? Probably not!

Tyres, aerodynamics, electrics, it'll all improve, but marginal gains I think!

Maybe a few more permanent indoor venues?


cars may need to be slower to cope with FPV but that does not mean it's not impossible as long as it's a level playing field and everyone your racing against uses FPV
Current buggys can go faster than they do the fact is the can only go a certain speed around the track without crashing or tipping
Would be class if you could spectate and view what the driver is viewing wireless over the net
Or even if the drivers are still as there are now racing looking down from the rostrum having micro camera on the buggy a that can a tapped into wireless and viewed would be good

[HOTSHOT III]

Not sure RE electrics but I think the development of nitro engines will mimic that of 2-stroke motorcycles in the '80s with liquid cooling and variable exhaust port (power valve) systems.

It's probably possible to make the components in sizes small enough for .12-.28 engines now but if something is viewed by the buying public as being too far ahead of its time it won't sell

[discostu]

Speaking of updates I'm still confused with the BRCA wording on a control tryre on driven axel I'm pretty sure my 4wd front wheels are driven so why on earth is the front tyre choice on a 4wd buggy open