Can Agents Learn To Drive?

We took a Volcon Stag, an electric off-road vehicle, and retrofitted it so AI agents can drive it. There's no drive-by-wire kit: the agents work the same pedal and steering column a driver would.

Two-minute teaser.

The retrofit

The Stag's driver side with the door open: a toothed sprocket on the steering column, a bike chain running down to a motor, a battery, a laptop and loose wiring on the floor. — The driver's side. The steering wheel is gone; a sprocket and bike chain connect the column to the steering motor.

Throttle: a linear actuator pushes the accelerator pedal.
Steering: the steering wheel is replaced with a toothed sprocket. A motor turns it through a bike chain.
Braking: regenerative braking for now.
Telemetry: read from the vehicle's CAN bus.
Vision: a GoPro.
Connectivity: Starlink, so the vehicle stays online out in the field.

Every part is off the shelf and bolts onto the existing controls. The agents send throttle and steering commands, read the vehicle's own telemetry, and see through the camera, without any changes to the drivetrain.