Skip to main content

Real life Mario Kart with RFID bananas takes you to a literal Rainbow Road

Real life mario kart
Image used with permission by copyright holder

True fact: Mario Kart will always be one of the best Nintendo 64 games of all time. It’s just not disputable. It’s so awesome that a bunch of robotics nerds at Austin-based Waterloo Labs decided to outfit race karts with RFID tags so they could play real life Mario Kart. I know where I’m having my next birthday party.

The modded race karts run on a RFID Wi-Fi system that helps each player communicate with new items picked up and their usage over the air. During the race course, players could pick up power-up boxes suspended over the track and receive a randomized item. With RFID, the individual karts can read which item was picked up, and gives each kart a new ability to use any time the player desires.

Recommended Videos

real life mario kart powersWhen the players use their selected item, the race karts can recognize the actions of each power-up, such as accelerating the kart to 100 percent of its throttle power when a mushroom is used, spinning other karts and slowing their motors when they run into a banana, or temporarily induce brakes on all players at the use of a lightning bolt. We could only imagine the scene of an 8-person race when everyone is running away from the ever-ferocious Chomp.

In addition to power-ups, players can also physically launch attack items (such as green and red turtle shells) by stuffing the power-ups inside a cannon attached to their vehicles. Let’s hope the drivers go slow at this process, as it could get dangerous to drive fast while multi-tasking. Who knew Mario Kart would make such a complicated real-life game? All the lengthy and technical details, including the source code, are discussed at the Waterloo website, meaning you can build your own if you’re so inclined. But since we’re no technical geniuses (and are rather lazy), we’re just gonna sit here and wait for someone to figure out how to put this all in a nearby amusement park. It will be the best use of RFID general consumers have ever witnessed.

Watch the video below to see the Waterloo Labs real-life Mario Kart in action.

Natt Garun
An avid gadgets and Internet culture enthusiast, Natt Garun spends her days bringing you the funniest, coolest, and strangest…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more