Introduction of the successor of Anki DRIVE - Anki OVERDRIVE

[Johannes Knapp]

Hi, just wanted to post my video of the introduction of Anki OVERDRIVE the successor of Anki DRIVE. Thanks to modular track pieces Anki is taking the game to a whole new level!

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shJoZQW7JMQ

[Dale Allsopp]

i want this now...  I will buy this as soon as it is available.  Have all the Anki Drive Cars and Tracks.  

Only question is will they really stay on the track?  On the mat they have a tendency to drive off or just spin out.  I wonder if the software upgrade make a difference.  Love this!

[Sharon Rylander (ANKI)]

@JK - Thanks!!

@DA - Yeah, we're pretty excited around here as well! To answer your question, cars should nearly always stay on the track for both the current roll out tracks as well as the upcoming modular tracks. Notable exceptions: Using Boost on a curve will send it flying; a wily human competitor may try to bump your car off; and dusty tires/track are a common culprit.

A car that spins often is definitely not normal. Check to make sure the rear tires are squarely on their wheels, and while you're at it, give them a swipe with the included tire cleaner. This support article may also help and includes instructions for warranty replacement if needed. Thanks for mentioning it.

[Dale Allsopp]

Okay.  In practice mode, they drive off regularly with the crash bots driving.  sometimes the cars just spin in one circle, then the LED blinks for it to be placed back on the track.  I'll dust the tires and check to see if it is happening with a particular car.

In the promo video, I saw at least 8 cars on the track.  Is that only for show?

[Sharon Rylander (ANKI)]

Correct: currently there's a limit of 4 cars per game. However, there's a cool easter egg trick if you want to watch an unlimited* number of cars go around a particular track:

1. Make sure the car is off. (If it's on, press the gray button on the bottom of the car once to turn it off.)
   
2. Tap the gray button twice, with nearly one second in between. This timing is critical. If you tap too fast or too slow, it won't work.
   
3. On that second tap, keep the gray button held down until the car's top LED changes color--it will be almost 2 seconds--then let go.
   
4. Place the car on any track, any direction. The car is now in self-drive mode, aka cruise control. (You won't be able to control it.)
   
5. To take it out of cruise control mode. Tap the car off then back on.

*unlimited in theory only--obviously you can only have so many cars physically share space on the track at once. ;)

[Richard Wardley]

I just got the beta email announcing Overdrive, and then watched the vid here - I wondered what you guys had been doing - and after watching the vid - WOW - you have been busy!

I love the modular extensible track and the magenets to join them togeather - looks like simplicity.
Being in the UK, I am so happy to hear that it will be launched in the UK at the same time as the US - we had to wait a while for Anki Drive to be available over here compared to the US.

The banked corners and the jumps are a great idea, and I guess there is coding in the jump track pieces to tell the cars to speed up to make the jump - this is one of the biggest faults with slot cars and jumps, cos the cars are dumb, and if you are not going fast enough, then the cars don't complete the jump - I guess Overdrive will overcome that problem.

I saw some corner barriers in the video, will these be available as extra's as well, or something which didn't make it through to production. I play Anki on the carpet, but I can imagine for those who play Anki on a table,  they would be a welcome addition to prevent the cars dropping on the floor when there is the odd spin off.
I rarely get spin-offs, but to avoid a car disappearing under the sofa when it happens would definitly be aided with a few barriers.

Its great to see new cars being announced, and a 4 car charger is extemely welcome. I still hope the cars will come in their own charger box, as those boxes are built so well and protect the cars when not in use.

I would like to see an ability to have more than 2 add-ons at the same time - so have 2 weapons and a shield or a weapon, a shield and a tractor beam for example.

This is a really really exieting announcement, and will be definitley be putting a pre-order at the 1st oppertunity, and would very much welcome an invite to the beta when that is available.
Im off to get my 7 cars go round the track in formation - looks awsome on the vid.

[Sharon Rylander (ANKI)]

Thanks for your comments & yeah, we’re pretty excited around here, too!

> I saw some corner barriers in the video, will these be available as extra's…

Yes, we'll have a number of optional accessories as part of our fall lineup, including a Rails Kit and Corner Kit—particularly helpful when experimenting with Boost, lol.

> I still hope the cars will come in their own charger box,...

Both charger types are cross-compatible with all of our cars. However, the individual cases will only be sold with the 2014 cars, sorry. If there’s a high demand for them, that would likely change our tune!

> I would like to see an ability to have more than 2 add-ons at the same time - so have 2 weapons and a shield or a weapon, a shield and a tractor beam for example.

It sounds like you might be asking for 3 items on the screen at a time, which is definitely a challenge, due to space constraints on smaller devices. However, for anyone reading this who may not know, you can swap weapons as many times as you want during a game. (See below.)

> and would very much welcome an invite to the beta

For all those interested, the first step is to join the private beta community at beta.anki.com. Then please be patient—it will be quite awhile before we’re ready to send out kits to beta testers. Due to high demand, most people won’t get in (sniffle, we wish we didn’t have to be the bad guys here). To increase your odds, it will help to fill out as much of the profile and platform sections as possible. Honesty counts—we’re always looking for a variety of households.

Good Qs! Thanks for your post.

How to use multiple weapons and/or support items during a game 

1. Use your points to buy
• weapon(s) of choice from the Armory (upper right in the Garage), and
• a weapon slot(s), as part of a Chassis upgrade (main page of the Garage).
2. Swipe between weapons during the game--you’ll see little arrows if you got the chassis upgrade.
   

The same system applies to the Support items—just make sure you purchase a Support slot instead of Weapon slot from the Chassis.

On the controller, the top right box is always the weapon. The bottom right is always the support item. The only exception is with Corax: its Support item slot can be used for both, sweet. :)

 

[Dale Allsopp]

The weapon swipe is a challenge in the middle of the race... but i guess that is what practice is for.

Once thing that was very cool in this video is how the car actually raises it front wheels before the jump.  

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andyrobertson/2015/02/10/anki-overdrive-creates-snap-together-racing-campaign/

Absolutely awesome!

[Dale Allsopp]

Sharon it worked!  All 7 on the track.. Rho leading the way... followed by Corax... Boson... Kourai... Spektrix... Katal... Hadion

[Dale Allsopp]

No flash..  cool lines...

[Kal El]

Sharon, is that "cruise control" easter egg trick you describe above what was used to get the cars driving in formation in Hans's Anki Overdrive video starting around the 5:53 mark?

[Sharon Rylander (ANKI)]

That's what the mode often looks like, but in fact it's a special demo program one of our engineers tossed together that uses AI to detect and manipulate how far apart the cars get from one another. In standard cruise control, one car may begin to slightly outpace another, due to basic physical variances. For those interested in writing their own code, check out our SDK (though note that it's still in its early days). Good question!

[Leonard Nielsen]

I tried the Easter Egg and it was not working. It looks like you need to tap the grey button 4 time around 1/2 second apart to go into autodrive mode

[Sharon Rylander (ANKI)]

Ah yes, good sleuthing... The Easter Egg did change when we introduced Overdrive--we wanted to make it easier. For both Drive and Overdrive cars:

1. Make sure the car is off: If needed, press the gray button on bottom once.

2. Once it's off, press the gray button 5 times.

Voila! The car wheels should start rotating, and if you place the car on any track (either direction), it will drive automatically.

To stop this mode, tap the gray button once.

This is a great mode after you build a large or unusual track and just want to quickly see a car(s) drive around it.

Enjoy!

[Dale Allsopp]

Kids love this... for me, some have preferred to see them on Auto Pilot!