Dr. Tom Macon here, and have I got some cool robotic ideas for you to ponder!
Mobile phones and their mobile apps are taking over the world and changing everything. My son was in Radio Shack looking in the gizmo section, and he came across a helicopter that you control via your mobile phone. (He has the latest iPhone) And even though I am a die-hard Android fan. (Ice Cream Sandwich) I was amazed at how his iPhone became a command and control center for the stealthy little i400 helicopter.
As the little unit took flight, I realized that I was watching the future of many things to come. It started me thinking about the possibility of smart phone controlled robots. I quickly realized that these handheld wonders might be easily engineered to deploy useful robotic services. My son and I were able to modify a few things on his store-bought unit to increase lift and within a few hours of tinkering, we had a unit rigged with an arial surveillance camera, night-vision and other goodies that I hesitate on mentioning. So for about $400 in total cost, we created a robotic drone that would take off, perform a mission and return to base unassisted. Of course, using the iPhone, we could take over manually if need be.
So in one afternoon, I have envisioned the future by playing with store-bought components and my son's smartphone.
In the near future, I will be expanding on how such technologies might emerge and how the micro-world of robotics is poised to change rapidly... but for now, watch the following YouTube Video to see the smartphone controlled helicopter in action.
