Back to the Future Remote Shows Real DeLorean Speed

Back to the Future Remote Shows Real DeLorean Speed

Arduino Team — August 18, 2022

In the Back to the Future movies, the iconic DeLorean time machine had to reach 88 mph to move forward or backward in time. Even in 1985 it wasn't terribly difficult for a family sedan to hit 88 mph, but that's beside the point. To show viewers the car's current speed and increase the tension, the prop designers have brilliantly included a large digital speedometer on the remote that Doc is holding. W. Jason Altice used Arduino boards to reproduce this functionality on a rented DeLorean.

Altice rented the Back to the Future DeLorean replica from a company that caters to fans. This company wouldn't let Altice modify the car, of course, so it was unable to create a remote that actually controlled the steering or the throttle. But he was able to track the speed of the car and display it on a vintage RC style transmitter without modifying the location. He achieved this by using two Arduino Uno boards that communicate with each other via REYAX RYLR998 LoRa transceiver modules.

The first Arduino is in a simple plastic project box in the DeLorean. It uses an Adafruit Ultimate GPS logger to monitor the location of the car, then calculates the speed with that data. It displays the speed value on a three-digit seven-segment display on the project box and also transmits the value to the second Arduino attached to the RC remote. This Arduino has another seven-segment speedometer. With a few wires and switches stuck in, the RC remote looks a lot like the movie prop and lets Altice dress up as Doc Brown with precision.