Roboteq Motor Controller to Be Used in Attempt to Remote Control Full-Size Car on December 1 Monster Garage

PHOENIX, Nov. 28, 2003 -- Roboteq (www.roboteq.com) has donated one of its flagship AX2550 Dual Channel motor controller to the builders that will be featured on the December 1 broadcast of Monster Garage(R) on the Discovery Channel.

Monster Garage is a popular TV show where a contesting team must convert an ordinary car into an "extraordinary machine" within 4 days a and a limited budget.

In this episode, the team will be asked to construct full size automobile stuffed with enough electronics to make it a Remote Controlled race car.

Priced at $495 in single quantity, Roboteq's AX2550 is the only commercial product that interfaces directly to a hobby R/C radio receiver and capable of creating two very high power servos for turning a steering wheel and pushing brakes, or activate all sorts of heavy loads.

Roboteq is not aware of the outcome of the team's effort, which is kept secret until the day of the broadcast.

Roboteq's AX2550 is a very popular motor controller used in a wide range of robotic applications including military/surveillance robots, underwater robots, battlebots and animatronics. In one of the controller's multiple operating modes, a motor can be instructed to rotate an object, such as a steering, until it reaches a desired position.

Position commands may be sent by an operator via a remote control radio as in the Monster Garage example, or from a computer in the case of fully autonomous robotic vehicle applications.

A mechanical and electrical description of how to build such a remote or computer-controlled vehicle is published on Roboteq's web site at www.roboteq.com/rcauto.shtml. The Monster Garage team is expected to have devised its own version of the motor + steering + sensor assembly.

Important disclaimer:

Remote controlling a real automobile or other large vehicle can be extremely dangerous. Such a vehicle should only be operated in test tracks and never carry passengers.

About Roboteq and the AX2550

Founded in 2002, Roboteq's has been shipping motor controllers used in over 150 autonomous and remote controlled robots models around the world. The AX2550 controller can drive two DC motors at up to 40V and 120A each -- a level of power suitable for practically any robot design.