Anki Overdrive: Slot car without slot
20.10.2017
Translation: machine translated
Slot car without a slot? Yes, it's possible with Overdrive from Anki. The starter kit is now available in a Fast & Furious design. I was allowed to test it for you.
With Overdrive, you can design your own customised race track. The individual track elements can be put together quickly and easily. There are magnets at the ends that hold the tracks together, so you don't need any tools to assemble them. Similar to Carrera tracks, you can race against other vehicles. Thanks to the accompanying app, however, many new possibilities open up. In addition to normal races, battles with virtual weapons or time trials can also be held. However, the main difference to classic racetracks is that Overdrive does not require any tracks (slots).
Without tracks? How does that work?
Exactly, you read correctly. Without rails. The track elements on which you can race contain 16 infrared tracks. These are not visible to the human eye. Thanks to these tracks, however, the vehicles always know exactly where they are on the track.
Each vehicle is fitted with a sensor that scans its surroundings 500 times per second. Using artificial intelligence, the car determines its position, speed, the route to take and also the other vehicles. Once your racing car has collected all this information, it analyses thousands of possibilities across four dimensions and plans several moves in advance in real time. Thanks to its single-wheel drive, the vehicle is able to perform daring overtaking manoeuvres even at high speeds. According to the manufacturer, this technology would be able to control a vehicle hurtling down the track at 400 km/h. Unfortunately, Overdrive's small vehicles are not designed for these speeds.
What's different about the Fast & Furious version?
The racetrack technology is the same as in the classic Overdrive from Anki. One of the new features of the Fast & Furious version are the two vehicles. One is the Ice Charger driven by Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and the other is the MXT driven by Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). Compared to the classic Overdrive, the vehicles are "real" cars and not futuristic concept cars. According to the manufacturer, the MXT is robust and unstoppable, while the Ice Charger is all about speed. However, apart from the design, I couldn't see any differences between the vehicles. In my test, both vehicles behaved identically.
In addition to the vehicles, the track has also been given a small makeover. There is now a "power-up" field. If you thunder over it, you can hack nearby cars and slow them down or trigger an explosion, which weakens the vehicles in your immediate vicinity. However, it is not easy to catch this field. You have to drive right through the centre of this field to activate it. It took me a few laps to get the hang of it. But after that, nobody was safe from me. 😀
Anki has also programmed a new app for the Fast & Furious version. It has an overhauled design and contains different content to the classic Overdrive app.
What can the app do?
The app is available free of charge for iOS and Android. As the app is almost 400 MB in size, I recommend that you only download the app with a Wi-Fi connection. Otherwise your data volume will be used up quickly.
Workshop
In the workshop, you can admire your vehicles and give them various upgrades. From weapons to boosts, everything is available here. However, to be able to upgrade your vehicle, you first have to race and earn money. You can then use this money to buy upgrades in the shop and install them in your vehicles here in the workshop.
Single player
As a single player, you can choose between two different modes. You can complete the career mode or drive an open race. In career mode, you have to defeat various opponents in different categories. The opponents are all familiar from Fast & Furious and have the original sayings of the respective characters. If you win a race, you receive money and experience. You can use this to pimp your vehicle or unlock additional race modes for the open races.
Multiplayer
You can compete against your friends in multiplayer mode. Both of you must have the app installed on your smartphone or tablet. Each of you can then select a vehicle and compete against the other. There are normal races, battles in which you have to virtually shoot down your opponent, time trials and many more.
Extensions
With the track elements in the starter kit, you can build eight different race tracks. However, if the track elements in the starter kit are not enough for you, you can purchase a number of additional elements. In addition to the straights and bends, more specialised track sections are also available. With the jump, for example, you can bring additional action to the racetrack. With the "Collision Kit", accidents are provoked by vehicles coming from different directions meeting at a junction and crashing into each other. Don't worry, these things are extremely robust and can take a beating.
How big you ultimately want to build your railway is entirely up to you. As far as I know, the track can be extended to infinity.
Conclusion
With Overdrive from Anki, you have an interesting alternative to the classic slot car racetracks from Carrera. The track elements are easy to assemble and can be stored in a space-saving box when not in use. Using the app, the physical and digital worlds merge into one another, creating an exciting symbiosis that encourages play. Overdrive is definitely fun to drive and the career mode in the app constantly adds new challenges.
I think the price is reasonable for this product. You get hours of fun for you and your friends. We have already received many orders from the North Pole for Christmas. The busy Secret Santa team are already wrapping several Overdrives in gift wrap.
However, I do not recommend Overdrive to the youngest racers among you. As the app does have a certain level of complexity, small children may be overwhelmed. For them, the simple throttle lever on the classic Carrera tracks is easier to operate and therefore more suitable.
