Texas-Based Engineers Create Real Life “Mario Kart”

Austin, TX (WIBX) - If you've ever been anywhere near a Nintendo gaming console, you're probably familiar with the game Mario Kart. Mario, the most famous Italian plumber in history, takes on friends and foes alike in a series of races to claim the championship cup.

Winning a race isn't nearly as straightforward as hitting the gas and turning left. Power-ups and weapons abound, leaving each racer to fend for themself on a track that quickly becomes littered with bananas and shells.

But, what would happen if Mario Kart became a real-life contest? Waterloo Labs, a group of engineers from Austin, TX, attempted to find out.

In this YouTube video, several mechanical and electrical engineers talk about how they rigged the cars to run and how to log and use the game's "items." Then, the fun begins.

Check out the video below to see the carts in action and how Waterloo Labs made their contraptions work.