Tracking Brutus: The Science Behind MacGyver's CO2 Sensor Hack
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the CO2 Sensor Hack
In this episode of MacGyver, the team faces a unique challenge: locating a runaway robot car named Brutus equipped with stealth technology, which makes aerial tracking impossible. To tackle this issue, MacGyver, along with Riley and a fellow companion, takes the innovative route of employing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to trace the vehicle’s whereabouts.
CO2 Emissions and Their Impact
Brutus, being a hybrid vehicle, relies on an internal combustion engine that consumes gasoline and releases CO2 along with other emissions. It's vital to note that this carbon dioxide is a significant contributor to global warming and climate change.
To implement their tracking strategy, MacGyver retrieves a CO2 sensor from the car's air conditioning system. It's worth mentioning that many modern vehicles are equipped with carbon monoxide detectors to safeguard passengers from harmful fumes, and some even come with CO2 sensors.
High CO2 Levels in Your Car?
How quickly can CO2 levels escalate in a vehicle? The answer might surprise you.
www.co2meter.com
Chapter 2: The Tracking Mechanism
The team’s plan involves extending two CO2 sensors on tree branches, cleverly tying back to the episode's title. These sensors connect to the dome light in the car, allowing them to detect which direction has a higher concentration of CO2, guiding their navigation.
Image: CBS/MacGyver
To better illustrate the concept, here’s one of my diagrams that underwent several revisions.
Photo: Rhett Allain
Another earlier diagram showcases a more realistic design, incorporating MOSFETs for signal amplification.
Photo: Rhett Allain
Ultimately, the amount of CO2 that a vehicle emits is relatively minor. Therefore, relying on two sensors to accurately point towards the robot seems quite far-fetched, leading me to rate this hack a mere 1.5 out of 10 on the plausibility scale. For those interested, I have also compiled a list of other hack ratings.
Bonus: A video demonstration on connecting these components is available.
Chapter 3: Stopping Brutus with Technology
The robot car, affectionately dubbed Brutus, presents another challenge: bringing it to a halt. MacGyver devises a plan using a radio frequency (RF) device designed to disable the car's engine remotely.
The RF Safe-Stop system utilizes a powerful burst of electromagnetic waves to stop vehicle engines from a distance of up to 165 feet.
The concept revolves around directing strong radio waves at a vehicle, effectively disrupting its electronic systems. In Brutus's case, this interference prevents it from receiving commands, leading to a shutdown.
MacGyver constructs an RF device using a transmitter mounted on their truck and a satellite dish. To enhance the device's power, he cleverly taps into the car battery.
Now, a thought exercise: if the van is equipped with a standard car battery, how much current would the RF device need to draw in order to deplete the battery within five minutes? Estimations may be necessary.
Final Hack: Hotwiring a Car
As previously mentioned, hotwiring modern cars is quite difficult, which is fortunate since they stumble upon an older Camaro for their needs.
Leveraging his resources, MacGyver uses his phone and a belt to manipulate the vents of Brutus, creating just enough space to insert a USB stick. In a twist of irony, he ends up sacrificing his own phone rather than Jack's for the mission.
Originally published at http://rhettallain.com on June 30, 2019.