Quest 2 becomes a remote control for the home combat robot

Apr 02 2023 Jan Wöbbeking

Like a Gundam master, a creative hobbyist turned a Quest 2 into a remote control for a fighting robot — in his own home.

A Reddit user has made his robot dream come true. He maneuvers his wheeled robot drone through his own apartment with the Quest 2 to shoot at combat mechs in AR games he developed himself.

First, the inventor used the omnidirectional wheels of a remote-controlled vehicle (DJI Robomaster) and combined them with a camera and LiDAR sensor from an iPhone 14 variant. Then he developed an AR game whose implementation is reminiscent of Hot Wheels: Rift Rally. During the AR robot battle, he watches a video stream of his real-life home where computer-generated opponents appear.

AR mech battles with the Quest 2

Initially, this AR game ran on a smartphone. In the next step, the hobbyist made it compatible with the Quest 2 VR headset. The camera can be panned and tilted, making it a remote avatar. You play from a first-person perspective as if you are piloting a battle mech.

The developer adds that this makes for an immersive gaming experience. So far, however, it is unlikely to be a stereoscopic video image providing depth cues, something uncommon even for remote-controlled flying drones with FPV headsets.

Future variations are planned and could feature battles with several physical robots. Finding a suitable game mechanic could become a big challenge, however. After all, you wouldn't want to damage expensive hardware. Virtual weapons, hit zones, and more are likely to be used.

If you are interested in the progress and new game variants, you can read about the current developments on the SquirrelRobotics subreddit.

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