DIY enthusiasts have used their iPhones to remote control all sorts of contraptions -- LEGO robots, RC cars and helicopters, even an R2-D2 replica. But this is the first time I see a car -- a real car. A group of engineers at National Instruments -- they call themselves Waterloo Labs -- have transformed an Oldsmobile Delta 88 into a remote controlled car that they can drive using an iPhone app. In the video they give an overview of how they did their hack in just a few weeks. The control system uses a few motors, potentiometers, a NI Compact RIO embedded controller, and LabVIEW. The iPhone talks with the controller via Wi-Fi. Neat. Check out their site for more videos and technical details.
Thanks, Trisha!
Erico Guizzo is the digital product manager at IEEE Spectrum. He oversees the operation, integration, and new feature development for all digital properties and platforms, including the Spectrum website, newsletters, CMS, editorial workflow systems, and analytics and AI tools. He’s the cofounder of the IEEE Robots Guide, an award-winning interactive site about robotics. An IEEE Member, he is an electrical engineer by training and has a master’s degree in science writing from MIT.
