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Controlling a Robot From a Smartphone's Headphone Jack

Posted by timothy on from the hypnotic-control dept.

RedEaredSlider passes along this excerpt about what looks like a smart advance in controlling hobbyist robots:"The concept is quite simple: put a wheeled chassis on a smart phone or iPod Touch that allows for using the device as the 'brain.' But that simplicity is what makes the robot, called Romo, powerful. Since the controls are contained entirely within the phone, they can be downloaded as apps. One can add new physical capabilities to Romo -– a claw, or a scoop -– but that doesn't require any new additions to the phone. Also, the controls are through the headphone jack. That simplifies the design and means that the robot doesn't need to be linked with only one brand of smart phone."

4 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Not new by ewanm89 · · Score: 4, Informative

    You mean like ham operators have been doing to control their SDR radio units for years?

    1. Re:Not new by Lisias · · Score: 3, Informative

      1) Take any old but effective idea from the past
      2) Use it on a Apple device
      3) ...
      4) PROFIT!

      Serious, nice idea but far, far away from an advance or breakthrough.

      --
      Lisias@Earth.SolarSystem.OrionArm.MilkyWay.Local.Virgo.Universe.org
  2. Re:Audio jack to get a standard connector? by SuricouRaven · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because apps don't have access to the USB interface. At the very least you'd have to root/jailbreak the phone.

  3. Before you get too excited... by bradgoodman · · Score: 3, Informative
    Apple's developer agreement prohibits applications which execute any kind of interpreted, or downloaded code.

    So if you're envisioning an NTX-G style of robotics environment for the iPhone, you may need to think again.

    Even a simple "Big-Trak"-type (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Trak ) application would technically violate such terms. So - Android would clearly be the superior platform of this type of development.