BIG TRAK / bigtrak is a programmable toy electric vehicle created by

Milton Bradley Milton Bradley (November 8, 1836 – May 30, 1911) was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with Milton Bradley Company, his eponymous enterprise, which was purchased ...

in 1979, resembling a futuristic

Sci-Fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

utility vehicle A utility vehicle (UV) is a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed to carry out a specific task with more efficacy than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a small truck with low sides. Types of utility vehicles Military ...

. The original Big Trak was a six-

wheel A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machin ...

ed (

two-wheel drive Two-wheel-drive (2WD) denotes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to be driven, and receive power and torque from the engine, simultaneously. Four-wheeled vehicles For four-wheeled vehicles (and by extension, vehicles with six, ...

)

with a front-mounted blue "photon beam" headlamp, and a keypad on top. The toy could remember up to 16 commands, which it then executed in sequence. There also was an optional cargo trailer accessory, with the UK version being white to match its colour scheme; once hooked to the Bigtrak, this trailer could be programmed to dump its payload. In 2010, BIG TRAK was relaunched in the form of a slightly modified replica (cosmetically very similar to the original UK bigtrak), produced under licence by Zeon Ltd. There is also a small dedicated

Internet community A virtual community is a social network of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual commu ...

who have

reverse engineered Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accompl ...

the BIG TRAK and the

Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American multinational semiconductor company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is one of the top 10 semiconductor companies worldwide based on sales volume. The company's focus is on developing analog ...

TMS1000 The TMS1000 is a family of microcontrollers introduced by Texas Instruments in 1974. It combines a 4-bit central processor unit, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and input/output (I/O) lines as a complete "computer on a chip". ...

microcontroller A microcontroller (MC, uC, or μC) or microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Pro ...

inside it.

Versions

The original Milton Bradley US and UK versions

The US and UK/European versions were noticeably different. The US version was moulded in gray plastic and labelled "BIG TRAK", while the UK version was white and labelled "bigtrak" with a different keypad. The US version had Revision C, D, and E motherboards, while the UK/European had Revision L and so on.

The Soviet Lunokhod and Planetokhod

In the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, a clone was made under "

Elektronika Elektronika, also spelt Electronika and Electronica (, "Electronics"), is the brand name used for many different electronic products built by factories belonging to the Soviet Ministry of Electronic Industry, including calculators, electronic w ...

IM-11" designation. The early production version was named ''Lunokhod'' after the

Lunokhod programme Lunokhod ( rus, Луноход, p=lʊnɐˈxot, "Moonwalker") was a series of Soviet robotic lunar rovers designed to land on the Moon between 1969 and 1977. Lunokhod 1 was the first roving remote-controlled robot to land on an extraterrestrial ...

. It featured an obstruction sensor disguised as a plastic front bumper, which would stop the program when the toy got stuck. However, there was no provision for an accessory, and its motion sensor was based on a cheaper

reed switch The reed switch is an Electromechanics, electromechanical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. It was invented in 1922 by professor Valentin Kovalenkov at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University#Soviet era, Petrogra ...

instead of an

opto-isolator An opto-isolator (also called an optocoupler, photocoupler, or optical isolator) is an electronic component that transfers electrical signals between two isolated circuits by using light. Opto-isolators prevent high voltages from affecting the s ...

. A later version, named "Planetokhod," additionally featured a shootable rotor blade as an accessory, LED head and rear lamps, and the on/off switch was relocated to the rear side. A Soviet

popular science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...

journal

Nauka i Zhizn ''Nauka i Zhizn'' (''Science and Life'', ) is a science magazine first issued during the years 1890–1900 in Russian Empire, and then since 1934 in the Soviet Union (and continued in the Russian Federation today). See also *Tekhnika Molodezhi ...

published a detailed article on the IM-11.

The Zeon Ltd replica

In 2010, Zeon Ltd released a replica of the original toy. The colour and graphic scheme are based on the UK version and all stickers have been redrawn as a direct copy of the original artwork. However, the replica differs in several ways from the original. 1) The circular hatch on the original was removable, to allow access to the 9v battery powering the electronics. On the replica, this hatch is fixed shut as the 9v battery is no longer used. 2) The main electronics circuit board is completely different, with surface-mount components and a different processor chip and software. 3) Motor rotation is detected by rotating magnets fitted to the motors, and hall-effect detectors on the circuit board - the original used optical detectors. 4) The original used an incandescent light bulb; the replica uses an LED. 5) The original used 4 x 'D' cell batteries and a 9v PP3 battery; the replica just uses 3 x 'D' cells. Since the initial release of the replica, a second version has been introduced, the differences being in the test program and the power switch. Version 1 has a single-position power switch, either on or off, whereas version 2 has a 3-position power switch, centre off, forward for use on carpets, back for use on smooth floors. This affects the stall-detection in the electronics, as the original version seems to have been designed to run on smooth floors, and easily stalls when attempting to turn on carpet. The test program for version 1 runs the unit forwards, pauses, then runs backwards; in version 2, the model runs forward, then turns 180 degrees, runs forward again, then backs up a little.

The Bigtrak Rover

A new model, the Bigtrak Rover, is scheduled for release by Zeon Ltd in late 2014. This model is based on the Junior chassis. "Robotics go back to the future with the retro looks of smash-hit 80s toy Bigtrak working together with high-tech smartphone technology. Now you can have your very own mini Bigtrak robot controlled by your

smart device A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols (such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, near-field communication, Wi-Fi, NearLink, Li-Fi, or 5G) that can operate to some extent inte ...

. Rover's on-board camera streams live video from his field of view, directly to your computer, tablet or phone. Bigtrak Rover uses contactless technology to go exploring. He will go forwards, backwards and spin both clockwise and anti-clockwise. Cones are included for orienteering fun. Bigtrak Rover can be controlled by simply downloading a free App from the App Store or Android Marketplace and then follows commands from your iPhone, Android device, PC, Mac or tablet. Bigtrak Rover does not draw any power from your smartphone, and does not require Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity."

The Bigtrak XTR

The Bigtrak XTR was intended for release in 2012 but has not yet launched . It is an updated version of Bigtrak, its form based on the Bigtrak Jr with the 'cockpit' modified to be much smaller and streamlined. It can be controlled remotely using a computer, iOS, or Android device. The controls for the iOS / Android version allow for either tilting control or touch control. A foldable tray hides and protects the keypad from accidental input. The tray also functions as a cargo area that can detect an object placed on it. The Bigtrak XTR has two ports for optional accessories, one on the top and one on the front. The accessories are: Camera (XTRcam), computer communication module (XTRCom) that also allows another accessory to be plugged to it, light (LightBar), Infrared emitter (IRGun), and projectiles (XTRMissile). The camera can track an object.

The Dubreq desktop version, Bigtrak Jr

Dubreq Ltd under license from Zeon Ltd has released a 190mm long desktop version of the Bigtrak toy called "Bigtrak Jr". Like the original Bigtrak from the 1970s, it has an

active Active may refer to: Music * ''Active'' (album), a 1992 album by Casiopea * "Active" (song), a 2024 song by Asake and Travis Scott from Asake's album ''Lungu Boy'' * Active Records, a record label Ships * ''Active'' (ship), several com ...

accessory port for accessories including a rocket launcher (as an active accessory) and a drinks can carrier (as a passive accessory).

Power

The original Big Trak uses a 9 volt battery to power its microcontroller, while the 4 D cell batteries are used to power its electric motors. This electrical isolation helps prevent any electrical noise from the motor, speaker, and lamp from resetting or interfering with the microcontroller. The re-release Zeon version uses only 3 D cell batteries to power both its microcontroller and electric motors, while the Bigtrak Jr version only needs 3 AA batteries to power both its microcontroller and electric motors. The original optional cargo trailer uses a single D cell battery to power its electrical motor, both for driving and dumping operations, while the optional rocket launcher accessory for the Bigtrak Jr uses 3 AA batteries.

Programming the Big Trak

Various commands can be given, such as: "go forward 5 lengths", "pause", "turn 15 minutes right (90 Degrees)", "fire phaser", and so on. There is also a "repeat" instruction allowing simple loop to be performed, but the language is not

Turing complete Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was highly influential in the development of theoretical comput ...

, lacking branching instructions; its programming also resembles the principles of

turtle graphics In computer graphics, turtle graphics are vector graphics using a relative cursor (the "turtle") upon a Cartesian plane (x and y axis). Turtle graphics is a key feature of the Logo programming language. It is also a simple and didactic way of d ...

from

Logo programming language Logo is an educational programming language, designed in 1967 by Wally Feurzeig, Seymour Papert, and Cynthia Solomon. The name was coined by Feurzeig while he was at Bolt, Beranek and Newman, and derives from the Greek ''logos'', meaning 'word' ...

. The Big Trak also lacks any sort of sensor input other than the wheel sensors, though recent re-released versions do have the ability to accept optional external input.

Programmable keypad

There were no LED displays or ways to display program instructions, beyond actually running the program, which was done by pressing "GO". Each command inputted will be added next to the previous command inputted, allowing the operator to build a list of commands up to 16 commands. All programming to BigTrak was done through the keypad shown here: * Forward/Backwards: Move forward or backwards in units of body length * Left/Right: Turn left or right in units of roughly 1/60th of a full rotation * HOLD: Pause in 1/10 of second time units (UK version; P: Pause) * FIRE: Fire the light bulb "laser" (UK; Photon Symbol) * CLR: Clear the program (UK; CM: Clear Memory) * CLS: Clear Last Step (UK; CE: Clear Entry) * RPT: Repeat a number of steps (primitive loop) (UK; x2: Repeat key) * TEST: Run short test program * CK: Check last instruction (UK; Tick symbol) * Out: Dump optional trailer accessory * In: Reserved for future expansion (UK; missing. Disabled or not implemented on most if not all BigTraks)

In and Out commands

The Bigtrak is capable of communicating with an optional accessory. It uses an electrical 3.5 mm jack for its communication. Older bigger Bigtrak can also use a Bigtrak Jr optional accessory with an adaptor. However the newer Bigtrak XTR uses a different type of communication port, therefore it is not compatible with any previous Bigtrak accessory. The Out command is used in the 1970s/1980s Bigtrack to dump the cargo on its optional cargo trailer accessory. While in the modern 2010s Bigtrack, it is used to do things such as shooting missiles. However, the hardware on the late 1970s and early 1980s Bigtraks does not seem to be capable of processing any In command.

Computer control

In 1981

Steve Ciarcia Steve Ciarcia is an American embedded control systems engineer. He became popular through his ''Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar'' column in ''BYTE'' magazine, and later through the ''Circuit Cellar'' magazine that he published. He is also the author of '' ...

published in his ''

BYTE The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable un ...

'' column "Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar" an article on controlling Big Trak with a personal computer and radio interface, turning it into a

home robot A domestic robot or homebot is a type of service robot, an autonomous robot that is primarily used for household chores, but may also be used for education, entertainment or therapy. While most domestic robots are simplistic, some are connect ...

. Meanwhile, in the 2000s and 2010s, many people have hacked the Bigtrak by allowing it to be controlled with modern microcontrollers such as the

Arduino Arduino () is an Italian open-source hardware and open-source software, software company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices. Its hardwar ...

, or even a single board Personal Computer such as the

Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi ( ) is a series of small single-board computers (SBCs) developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in collaboration with Broadcom Inc., Broadcom. To commercialize the product and support its growing demand, the ...

. The Bigtrak XTR is capable of being fitted with a communication module to wirelessly communicate with a computer.

Big Trak in psychological research

In the early 1980s, the psychology of science community led by the laboratory of David Klahr at

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

adopted the Big Trak as a research vehicle for the study of Instructionless learning, Scientific discovery, View application,

Cognitive development Cognitive development is a field of study in neuroscience and psychology focusing on a child's development in terms of information processing, conceptual resources, perceptual skill, language learning, and other aspects of the developed adult bra ...

, and Dual Space Search.

Reception

Games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...

'' magazine included ''Big Trak'' in their "Top 100 Games of 1981", finding it a "great challenge is to program Big Trak to run through an obstacle course, without pacing off the distances".

Lawsuit

In Episode 827 Act One of ''

This American Life ''This American Life'' is a weekly hour-long American radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is ...

'', Peter Ocko tells the story of coming up with the idea of Big Trak when his father worked at Milton Bradley, and then the lawsuit they filed against Milton Bradley.

References

External links

A BIGTRAK hobbyist Page

Original instruction manual (PDF)

Original operators manual (full colour navigable pdf)

Transport instruction manual (PDF)

Big Trak decals
{{Milton Bradley 1970s toys 1980s toys 1979 robots Toy robots Hobbyist robots Six-wheeled robots Robots of the United States