I decided to give it a name, Pontus

June 29, 2017 8:18 PM

Self-driving potato (SLYT, via hackaday)
posted by ckape (23 comments total)

Wild fun!
posted by So You're Saying These Are Pants? at 8:30 PM on June 29, 2017

That was... a very clever idea!
posted by hippybear at 8:30 PM on June 29, 2017

You say, potato!
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:41 PM on June 29, 2017

GO LITTLE BUDDY!

I'm rooting for ya, you'e doing your best.
posted by louche mustachio at 8:46 PM on June 29, 2017

When it starts driving other potatoes around, we can call it tUber.
posted by dazed_one at 8:55 PM on June 29, 2017 [38 favorites]

The dude doing the narration sounds, weirdly, like Kumail Nanjiani.
posted by axiom at 8:57 PM on June 29, 2017

One thing's for sure: he hacked that potato.
posted by drlith at 9:02 PM on June 29, 2017

Well that was an emotional roller coaster...
posted by Phobos the Space Potato at 9:17 PM on June 29, 2017 [7 favorites]

So, what you're saying is, and let me see if I can get this right, this is a Rotato?
posted by Samizdata at 9:38 PM on June 29, 2017 [8 favorites]

I will say, after he installed the steering, the entire thing took an unexpected turn.
posted by hippybear at 10:14 PM on June 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

CAPITAL!

Now I want a yam jet.
posted by clavdivs at 10:34 PM on June 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

NSFCP - not safe for crouton petters
posted by idiopath at 11:32 PM on June 29, 2017 [3 favorites]

Aw, that's the campus of KTH in Stockholm. Pontus is now on display at KTH ELAB.
posted by seawallrunner at 1:12 AM on June 30, 2017

I like the subscribe text encouraging you to become his *new* best friend, with a promise that he won't bake you.
posted by halcyonday at 1:32 AM on June 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

But I taste terrible boiled!
posted by ckape at 1:35 AM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

Well, I guess thats better than slowly drying up and rotting to death. Now I'm wondering how the electrical charge would change as the potato aged. Would it gradually slow.down, until it stopped moving all together? Or would it be unaffected, until it turned to mush and wasn't able to hold all the electronics in place anymore?

Either way -- super fun project, thanks for posting!
posted by Fig at 3:38 AM on June 30, 2017

I thought this was going to be about one of those Infiniti SUVs.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:59 AM on June 30, 2017

More self-propelled than self-driving ...
posted by carter at 4:09 AM on June 30, 2017

This is typical silicon valley disruptiveness. Think of all the family-owned potato bakers this will drive out of business. Not to mention what happens when he upscales to self-mashing potatoes and then, inevitably, self-slicing-and-frying potatoes. (Those will be two-wheelers and marketed as CHiPs)
posted by chavenet at 4:14 AM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

"Later Pontus voted for a candidate who would eliminate his healthcare."
posted by Quindar Beep at 6:45 AM on June 30, 2017 [4 favorites]

Random chance or algorithmically targeted ad? You be the judge.
posted by drlith at 6:45 AM on June 30, 2017

I loved this video since it showed up at MST Club last night! I get the feeling that many of the videos that turn up there would make good posts....
posted by JHarris at 7:55 AM on June 30, 2017

The potato flesh near the copper and zinc electrodes might have quite high, perhaps unhealthily high levels of copper and zinc ions. Wouldn't eat.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:57 PM on June 30, 2017