Sensor R/C Control Device

Q: I read about your new N-Max technology. Isn't that frequency hopping going to hurt other products on the 2.4ghz band, like the Spektrum radios?

A: Not at all, in fact, it's a requirement that any radio that operates in the 2.4ghz spectrum must be able to handle other traffic in its band. The fact that N-Max sends 32 redundant messages out does not interfere with other systems - N-Max signals look like "noise" to any other receiver except an N-Max receiver. You could say that it is very "stealthy" in that respect.

Q: Thanks for the great update, I just downloaded Sensor 2 and it rocks! But I have a question - will software updates like this always be free? It seems too good to be true.

A: Thanks for the kudos. Actually we will begin charging for certain software updates in the future. That is the only way for Nomadio to justify the cost of the engineering. However, we are committed to providing free bug fixes and minor operational advances as long as you own your Sensor.

Q: I just saw that the Sensor 2 is available - do I need to send my Sensor back to the factory to be updated?

A: No, one of the great advances of the Sensor is the fact that it is software based. Nomadio has added all the new features of version 2 with just a downloadable software update. When you run your Digital RC desktop software, it will "phone home" using the Internet and find that there is a new version available. It will then ask if you want to download the new version 2, and if you say yes, your computer will download and install the new software.

Q: What kind of Servos do you include with the Sensor?

A: We don't include any. Nomadio is not a servo manufacturer, nor do we want to force our customers into using any servos other than the ones they have probably already settled on for their race car. Typically the servos that are included with crystal radios do not provide high enough performance to be used for racing anyway. It's another case where we examined the "status quo" and decided not to follow the industry. We hope our customers will agree.

Q: I just got my Sensor and was surprised that there is no printed manual, just a quick start guide. Why does Nomadio do it that way? Aren't you being cheap?

A: As you know, the Sensor is a very software-based product, and we do provide a 100 page manual in PDF form on the CD-ROM.

The reason we don't print a manual is because the features and capabilties of the Sensor keep getting improved on a regular basis. If you bought a Sensor on the first day they were available in May, 2005, you would now be on your third major manual revision - your printed manual would be completely outdated. The way we do it, you get a new, updated manual every time you download new software.

Older crystal radios can provide you with a printed manual because they never change. Once you buy it, that's it. Nomadio's way is much more like a PC product than a typical crystal radio - it keeps getting better after you bought it.

Q: I've seen your ads, but has the Sensor been reviewed by any independent magazines?

A: All of the major RC magazines are working on reviews. The first one in print is the October issue of RC Car Action. It's a great review. RC Extreme's review in the November 2005 issue just hit the street and it's equally complementary about Nomadio's Sensor. There are plenty more coming.

Q: Can I keep my existing XYZ crystal receiver and just use your controller
to drive it?

A: No - the Sensor system is a completely new type of radio system that is incompatible with your typical Crystal Radio receivers used in RC. That's actually a good thing, because Nomadio's Digital Spread Spectrum radio system does not have any of the problems associated with crystal radios.

But it does mean you have to buy matching controller and receivers to use the Sensor system. This is why the Sensor kit includes a receiver and sensors... you need both to have a working system. We also sell accessory receivers for outfitting your other cars to have telemetry and DSS control from the Sensor.

Q: There are 300 million telephones here in the states that are on 2.4 Ghz, how are interference issues going to be resolved?

A: Actually the common cellphone operates at 900 mhz, but there are quite a few products that use the 2.4 Ghz band. Notably, WiFi computer networking products, and some consumer wireless phones.

The Sensor uses a number of technologies to avoid interference with other 2.4 GHz devices. The Sensor is smart enough to detect other devices operating in the 2.4GHz range in same area, and move to other parts of the band. It also sends signals multiple times on multiple frequencies to make sure that they get through even if there is interference. Finally unlike any other RC radio it uses special codes in its messages so that other radio signals on the same frequency will never be mistaken for a command to your car.

Q: Is Sensor legal for use in ROAR Races?

A: Yes, ROAR's 2005 rules (available here- http://www.roarracing.com/rules/index.htm ) allow for 2.4ghz radios to be used alongside legacy crystal radios. QSAC, the governing body for quarter scale R/C has also declared the Sensor legal for its races. We expect that NORRCA and other governing bodies will soon follow suit. The european EFRA recently approved Sensor.

Q: What about Sensor's range? How does it compare to that of a normal FM radio?

A: In typical conditions the factory equipped Sensor system has a usable range of 1000 feet. With high gain antennas we have run cars at twice that range, out of line of sight.

Q: When will we see versions of the Sensor for air model use? We need more servo channels and we want video and telemetry to come back from our plane.

A: If we had a nickel for every flyer that has contacted us begging for Sensor/Aero, we'd be rich!. We chose to address surface vehicles first to establish our company in the RC market.

For a variety of reasons Sensor's technology is really really interesting for flyers (for example it's expandable to support up to 16 servos at 12 bits (4096 steps) per servo - that's a lot of things to control! You could use one channel for 12 "on/off" things and still have 15 moving servos. Plus it supports up to 16 channels of telemetry returning from the model - imagine having airspeed, heading, altimiter, battery voltage, temperature, and nine other sensors sending information back to your controller!

Nomadio plans to address the air vehicle segment once we have completed our product introductions for surface vehicle products. There are some issues to resolve with AMA and FCC since flying is much more potentially dangerous.

That being said, the guys who fly $10K planes and have been hijacked by some kid in the pits turning on his radio are more than ready for new technology.

Q: Can I use a webcam as a sensor and send live video from my car back to the controller?

A: This is a very common question. We do actually provide live video for our military systems and we can tell you that it is not very useful while the car is in motion - it's incredibly jumpy. Secondly, there is not enough bandwidth in Sensor's digital link to support real-time digital video. What is missing is digital video chips that can compress the video to a small enough data stream so that it can fit within Sensor's bandwidth. Someday when digital video is cheap we'll be able to send it down the telemetry pipe but that's going to be a while.

Q: I don't want to look at the Sensor's screen while I'm racing - I need to watch my car. Isn't your big graphic screen really just marketing fluff?

A: If you had to watch the screen to get value from our telemetry, it would be completely useless for the exact reason you describe. We don't expect you to ever look at the screen while driving a race.

Because the Sensor is a "complete rethink" of the whole human-to-RC car interface, we put in other ways to notify you when important things happen. You can program it to make any sound you want when any condition you specify happens. It uses regular Windows WAV files, so you can even record your own voice saying "TOO HOT" or "LOW BATT" if you want.

There's also a cellphone type vibrator in the handle that can be programmed the same way - "vibrate twice when motor temp gets to 240 degrees".

Nomadio's sensors aren't just for preventing trouble, You can use these sensors for training too - for example suppose you determine from looking at the telemetry that your best laps happen when you enter turn 1 at 24 mph. You can train on the track by setting a sound event to happen when your car is traveling at 24mph.

And of course you can capture the telemetry of the car using a laptop computer and analyze the race later, improving your driving techniques by viewing your performance on each lap.

Q: I saw another DSS radio that goes into the radio slot of my M8 controller. Isn't that the same as your Sensor but much cheaper?

A: The history of high technology is full of "bridge" products that attempted to graft new technology onto older platforms that were never meant to handle it. These products never last long nor do they really fulfill customer expectations. Remember the adapters to let your car cassette player hook up to a CD? Still using that?

The product you refer to is simply a "bolt on" DSS radio module. Nothing more. Since it lives inside controllers that were designed for analog AM and FM radios 3-5 years ago, it can never improve on the performance those units presently provide. In fact, since the analog output must be translated into a digital signal, it actually adds delay to the system.

Suppose you had a Ford Escort and somebody gave you a Ferrari 12 cylinder engine. You could mount the engine in your Escort and it would run, but would it drive like a Ferrari? No. It wouldn't, because all of the "systems" (suspension, transmission, weight distribution, etc) that make a Ferrari a premium product do not exist in a Ford Escort.

Using a bolt on DSS system with your RC radio is like putting a Ferrari engine in an economy car - your crystal radio wasn't designed to handle it, even though it technically works. You are missing all of the advantages of a full radio system that was designed for digital spread spectrum and the features it enables.

Interestingly, if you add up the price of the legacy controller, the add-on DSS radio system, and an add-on telemetry system, it's nearly $900 list - With Sensor, you get all that in an integrated package plus audio alerts, vibrator, an ergonomic controller with a big screen for just $649 list. It's a lot more expensive to build a car from spare parts.

Nomadio's Sensor is a complete white paper redesign of the RC controller function using state of the art DSS/Telemetry/graphics/PC interface/ergonomics. It takes full advantage of the 2.4 mhz DSS technology. It's software based. It can be updated via internet downloads of new features. It's a whole new world.

Q: Is the Sensor compatible with SpektrumRC's DSM receivers?

A: That's a complicated one. Both Sensor and SpektrumRC products use the 2.4Ghz band, so they are compatible in the sense that they coexist peacefully. However, Nomadio's Sensor cannot drive a SpektrumRC equipped car, and vice versa. Nomadio's digital radio system has security features that ensure that only your car responds to your controller.