Updated Anki Drive app offers up more upgrades.
For those who have yet to get their driver’s license but want to battle-race in the REAL-WORLD should take a look at robotics/AI start-up Anki, whose Drive game is taking the world by storm. Anki Drive debuted late last year and has gained incredible fanfare since then. The game is actually a real-world robotic racing game similar to the electric slot racing cars of yesteryear only without the snap-together track, tiny electric cars and the hand-held ‘squeeze’ controllers that supplied power to said cars. Anki Drive uses robotic cars that feature a rudimentary AI that sorts out problems such as position, reasoning and execution to perform a series of tasks on its own. The cars are outfitted with cameras and sensors and are controlled with user’s iOS equipped iPhones, which not only allow players to drive said cars but also customize them ‘virtually’ with faster engines, better tires and even weapons designed to incapacitate other players vehicles. Think of it like combining a video game with a physical game, however you don’t actually get to physically install new engines or weapons platforms (at least not yet anyway). Anki has recently released a new update (via iTunes), which incorporates 20 new upgrades for users to race with, including Reverse Drive (racing against the flow of traffic), Kinetic Brake (bring the car to a dead stop) and EMP pulse (designed to damage all opponents near the car). Other improvements allow players to switch-out upgrades that they no longer want (which they were not able to do before), albeit with a point penalty (players progress by earning points against other players). Anki Drive is available in a starter kit, which includes the race mat and two cars for $199, with additional cars costing $69.99 a piece and requires an iPhone for use as the controller. The update is available now for all those interested in gaining an edge over their rivals.
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