iPhone Controlled RC Car Rocks

[Kyle Matthews]

Josef Prusa (and his brother), a few iPhone 3G-loving Czechs, have figured out how to control their RC car with their iPhone's accelerometer. The 5+ minute video shows Josef wheeling and spinning his RC car simply by tilting the iPhone.

Writes Josef in his English post on the mod -

Controlling is very easy with iPhone 3G. You have five buttons, four of them you can use for traditional "driving" and when you press last one, unlocks accelerometer control in same way as you can see in many driving games available on AppStore.

Realization of this project not took long time, only one afternoon.

Basically, he's interfacing the iPhone 3G with OSCemote (link opens iTunes), which is available for $4.99 in the AppStore and sends Open Sound Control messages to a PC on his network. The PC catches the data using Max/MSP. Max/MSP then exports to an Arduino, which is a small development kit that, in turn, by use of transistors, makes the adjustments on the actual RC controller. Some nifty engineering mods for an afternoon's work.

josef-prusa.eu

[big poops]

thats awesome!!! That would be tight if i could control my real car like james bond does

[Macdaddy5539]

Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through just to control an RC car. Still, props for making it work.

[Kyle Matthews]

Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through just to control an RC car. Still, props for making it work.

Pretty sure its more "look what I can do" than "look what you should do."

[heath_rox]

i wonder how many "its fake theres a guy with a remote hiding behind that tree " this post will get
any ways i reckon its real it cool to

[trevorrawson]

that was absolutely amazing...every day the iphone just keeps getting better

[Rescuer]

now I just need my iphone to be my garage door opener, and i'm set

[pingwhen]

now I just need my iphone to be my garage door opener, and i'm set

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing idea!

[lilskaterpunk]

That sweet, good job guys!

[Muggz5]

now I just need my iphone to be my garage door opener, and i'm set

I wonder what technology is in the HomeLink system that's built into cars nowadays. I bet its possible. If you can pull off a glow mod, surely while its open you could retro the components.

[blacksti]

Ya that would be so cool! I wanna do that to my 5b but i think its a bit to big!

[tha5150]

I have a rctruck. Emaxx on brushless power and I would love to control it at 50mph with myiphone. If there is a way to buy the app for 5 bucks and make some small adjustments I would be all over it. But there are so many different radios out there iwould need to see a companability list first.

Anyways. Cheers

[maf200311]

i call BS on this one. Since when does RC cars have wireless or iphone(1Gen or 2Gen) have RF controllers to transmit? i see no way that the iphone can communicate with the car plus if you notice on the video when he is "driving" the car and acts like he is pushing the "buttons" to control the car the screen is off.

[jm12345]

the screen being off has really nothing to do with it, PocketTouch (I thinks thats what its called) enables the person use iPod controls (switch songs, increase volume) by swiping your finger across the screen in a certain direction. This is all done will the screen is "off" (or in theory pitch black).

Therefore the screen being off does not really prove this to be fake.

[prusajr]

Hi, my name is actualy "Josef Prusa" and not "Josef Pruiza"

Please, before you start yelling "This is fake!", "This is impossible!" read original article, where is all explained. With photos and detailed description!!

iPhone controlled R/C car [english]

It's impossible to do it directly, so I route it over laptop in my backpack via wifi. All is on video!!! Just watch it before you start making theories how I fake it D

And why is not accelerometer used in all video? Because I don't implement rotation on place (car is spinning on one place) by accelerometer, simply because it's very hard to differentiate if "driver" want to turn right or spin on one place. In some place is just more comfortable to use buttons.

I hope my post is understandable

[Reako]

Nice work nonetheless. It's almost impractical what can be done with the iPhone now.

Reako

[Muggz5]

i call BS on this one. Since when does RC cars have wireless or iphone(1Gen or 2Gen) have RF controllers to transmit? i see no way that the iphone can communicate with the car plus if you notice on the video when he is "driving" the car and acts like he is pushing the "buttons" to control the car the screen is off.

Actually it could be very possible I used to be into RC cars, and I wonder If my spektrum radio which uses DSM technology could work.

[r1994augusto]

coool but you need too many things is just great!!!

Actually it could be very possible I used to be into RC cars, and I wonder If my spektrum radio which uses DSM technology could work.

you have just ruin my dream!!!

thats awesome!!! That would be tight if i could control my real car like james bond does

lol

[fletch33]

NICE!!!

here is my small collection the plane would be cool to control with the iphone but i couldn't even imagine setting it up.

[unlockme]

sweet. Just another step closer to taking over the world with my iPhone!