Het wereldwijde magazine en verkoopplatform voor liefhebbers van klassieke auto’s, door liefhebbers.
Het wereldwijde magazine en verkoopplatform voor liefhebbers van klassieke auto’s, door liefhebbers.
Filter
Maak een keuze
- Auto's
-
Merk >>
-
Categorie >>
- Motorfietsen
-
Locatie >>
- Onderdelen
-
Automerk >>
-
Fabrikant >>
-
Categorie >>
- Fietsen
-
Bouwjaar >>
-
Landen
Het mysterie van het radiografisch bestuurbare Amerikaanse wonder
Of je het nu zelfrijdende modus, automatische piloot of radiobesturing noemt, of het poëtischere 'fantoomauto' of prozaïscher 'autonome auto', het idee van de auto die geen bestuurder nodig heeft is bijna net zo oud als de radio- en auto-industrie zelf. Deze foto dateert uit 1928 en is genomen in Washington, maar er staat verder weinig informatie op. Het originele bijschrift luidt: "Foto toont een man die op straat naast een auto staat en vermoedelijk een afstandsbediening vasthoudt; een bedieningskastje bevindt zich op de treeplank van de auto. Ja, men denkt dat dit een radiografisch bestuurbare auto is.
Is het niet vreemd dat er verder geen feiten beschikbaar zijn? We hebben alleen iets meer gevonden over een man genaamd Francis P. Houdina, een voormalig elektrotechnisch ingenieur van het Amerikaanse leger die de Houdina Radio Control Co. in Wisconsin oprichtte en een paar jaar eerder zo'n radiografisch bestuurbare auto bouwde, die naar verluidt het American Wonder werd genoemd: "Hij rustte een Chandler sedan uit 1926 uit met een zendantenne en de radiosignalen die het ontving, bedienden kleine elektromotoren die de snelheid en richting van het voertuig regelden. Een team dat vlak achter hem reed in een tweede voertuig bestuurde de spook Chandler.
Tijdens een demonstratie in New York in 1925 zou Houdina's bestuurderloze auto tegen een ander voertuig zijn gebotst dat geparkeerd stond in 47th Street en vol stond met fotografen die de gebeurtenis vastlegden. Dat weerhield Houdina er echter niet van om door het land te toeren om zijn Chandler te demonstreren. Uit één verslag: "Het effect is griezelig en mystificerend en de complete demonstratie is een van de meest spectaculaire straatevenementen die mogelijk zijn.
Deze auto hier is geen Chandler, maar zou de man Francis Houdina kunnen zijn met een latere incarnatie van zijn American Wonder?
Woorden: Jeroen Booij; foto: Library of Congress/Underwood & Underwood
Gepubliceerd:
donderdag december 28th, 2023
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email
Copy
Reacties
Gerrit Houdina
18 April 2024, 03:44
Perhaps the only real Francis P. Houdina had a licence with the correct information!
Lees verder
Gerrit Houdina
21 Maart 2024, 00:15
You see this is a 1925 Chandler! And you can see it has the dealer plate from Achen Motors! And neither one of these two young men were in the army! By the way, Francis P. Houdina was a fictitious name; his real last name was Weber. That's right, so if you read the story about Harry Houdini and Francis P. Houdina, you probably know Houdini's best friend was Lawrence Weber! Bet you all would like to know what really went on! And yes, my real name isn't Gerrit either!
Lees verder
Gerrit Houdina
15 Maart 2024, 03:52
Not even close, the cars came from Achen Motors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1925 the dealer plate started with a star! Francis P. Houdina and George Young were from Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
Lees verder
Steve Gallichan
01 Januari 2024, 11:13
The original photograph was by Underwood & Underwood. A quick search of their archives online did not bring up any further details. Surely the original photograph must have been used in some sort of publication, either a newspaper, motoring or electrical journal?
Lees verder
Daniel Reuben
29 December 2023, 22:34
This can't be the same scenario. Not only as mentioned are the cars back to back but the antennas are wrong. Houdina used two transmitters and two receivers for his initial demonstration with the Chandler. An article in Radio News Nov. 1925, Vol. 7, page 592, shows his set-up close-up as well as a schematic. He used 102 and 117 meters (transmitting at 10 watts) which is about 2 Mhz. The "automated car" had a square loop antenna to receive. If one looks closely in the photo by Hergen Dueter the piloted car has a horizontally strung antenna overhead of the roof (similar to what ocean liners had at much larger scale overhead of the smokestacks in the day). In order to match impedance the transmitting antenna needs to have a length as a multiple of the wavelength. A vertical whip antenna as in the later photograph looks to be 5 feet or 1.5 meters tall. Even if a 1/8th wavelength antenna was used this would make it 12.75 meters or ~42 feet tall. Now he could have changed frequency but it would still be unusual to use a whip antenna to receive with. Additionally the article I reference shows the entire backseat was taken up with equipment. An open car was used probably for two reasons: 1) it must have become very hot back there and 2) it would be difficult to stand over the equipment and get a good view in order to troubleshoot. By the way the execution was a horrible one. The first channel would close a relay to ratchet (in one direction only) a 12 position switch to then select what action he wanted. So if he selected "turn right" it would be another 11 keyed pulses to select "turn left". There was no mechanism to receive feedback to know where the selector was. Of course no wonder he crashed.
Lees verder
Gerrit Houdina
27 Februari 2025, 03:56
Crash? Who was in the car it hit? One was Lawrence Weber, Houdini's best friend, who helped Houdini make films! Just as staged as the incident in the office of Francis P. Houdina!
Lees verder
Gerrit Houdina
21 Maart 2024, 00:00
There were four cars, where are your documents!
Lees verder
Tim Hewitt
29 December 2023, 18:08
Why are the cars parked rear to rear, rather than in the same direction? If you were using a "chase" car to remotely control the other vehicle surely you would follow it forwards?
Minor point also, wouldn't you put the aerial on the highest point, perhaps the roof, rather than hiding 75% of it behind the body by placing it on the running board? I'm no scientist/radio engineer, but isn't that an obvious possible problem. Surely you would want to give yourself the best possible chance of communicating with the vehicle, especially on such a public demonstration?
Lees verder
Minor point also, wouldn't you put the aerial on the highest point, perhaps the roof, rather than hiding 75% of it behind the body by placing it on the running board? I'm no scientist/radio engineer, but isn't that an obvious possible problem. Surely you would want to give yourself the best possible chance of communicating with the vehicle, especially on such a public demonstration?
Agosto
29 December 2023, 11:31
Hello, Remember Department S in TV -- Who Plays the Dummy--
Lees verder
Hergen Deuter
29 December 2023, 02:03
Your photo clearly shows an Essex Super Six. The attached photo of Houdina's radio controlled Chandler was first published in Radio News in November 1925, so this car is neither a sedan nor can it be from 1926 as was obviously later noted on it.
Lees verder
Rick Politi
28 December 2023, 21:08
A most difficult photograph to "interpret".
NOT familiar with either Chandler (chandelier?), or Essex, I would opt for the Essex however?
Of course the right-angled arms bring foremost attention, that is, other than the balding forehead of the main character.
Along with the two-sided strict verticality of the louvers, I suggest a "deforestation" of a high plain area.
Rick Politi.
Lees verder
NOT familiar with either Chandler (chandelier?), or Essex, I would opt for the Essex however?
Of course the right-angled arms bring foremost attention, that is, other than the balding forehead of the main character.
Along with the two-sided strict verticality of the louvers, I suggest a "deforestation" of a high plain area.
Rick Politi.
Michael Schlenger
28 December 2023, 09:21
The depicted car appears to be a 1928 Essex "Super Six". For comparison see the attached photo (from my collection) showing one registered in Munich, Bavaria.
Lees verder