How to drive a car with an iPhone
A YouTube video from the crew at Waterloo Labs tells you everything you need to know
Photo: Waterloo Labs
File this one under Don't Try This at Home.
Some DIY guys in Austin, Texas, with time on their hands and access to free equipment have demonstrated how to use an Apple (AAPL) iPhone to steer, accelerate and brake a jury-rigged car.
The video — complete with stunt driving and real-time collisions — is posted below the fold.
This is the third published video project from Waterloo Labs, a group of engineers from National Instruments (NATI), a manufacturer of embedded controllers and virtual instrumentation software.
In the first, Doug and Hunter taught us how to control fireworks with a computer. In the second, how to play first-person-shooter video games with real guns.
The third project is their most elaborate. The car — a late '80s Buick — was purchased on craigslist for $300. The motors that control the accelerator and brakes were ripped from the power windows. The motor controller was borrowed from the FIRST Robotics Competition. The potentiometers, digital breakout board, analog input module, power distribution board, programmable automatic controller, wireless gaming adapter, Wi-Fi router, etc. were presumably supplied by their employer.
The iPhone app they wrote themselves.
Below the fold: Two videos, one showing what they did, the second how they did it.
For ten consecutive years since 2000, Fortune has named National Instruments one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.
Thanks to Seth Weintraub at 9to5 Mac for the tip.
[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]
Unlike buzzkillington the Detroit engineer, as an engineer and a hiring manager I AM IMPRESSED. Not in that this exercise represents anything technologically advanced, or new to science from a discovery point of view. Rather, it's an excellent project example that demonstrates genuine learning, understanding, adaptive behavior, improvisation, creativity, and resourcefulness. It's a way to "connect the dots" in a method that hasn't quite been done before. It's the kind of behavior that eventually leads to breakthroughs. Oh yeah and it's cool too!!
And the term is "jury rigged" it's a nautical phrase from the 17th century that describes improvisational ship repair while at see. The term "Gerry-rigging" used as a German insult originating during WWII is an urban legend.
Tom, jury-rigged is a perfectly acceptable term and has been since the 1700's to refer to a temporary fix, e. g., to jury rig a rudder on a ship when the permanent one is damaged or destroyed. See the Wiki article on jerry-rigged.
As an engineer, I am not overly impressed. Using a newer vehicle with traction control and electronic pedal, they could have had an even easier job on everything except the steering.
By the way, it is "Gerry-rigged", not "Jury-rigged". The slang term goes back to WWII when the German soldiers were using anything they could find to repair equipment and keep it running near the end of the war. American soldiers began referring to this as "Gerry-rigging". It could be considered offensive to some German groups since it often refers to something that is awkwardly patched together.
This is beautiful! Made my day. Love to see how Objective C with a great deal of innovation can zing into the ether and awe the masses! Well done.
The issue is whether with more power, the iTablet will be able to do more, such a drive farm vehicles to till the field while a farmer tends to other needs on the farm.
I hope Achmed doesn't read this blog.
I can just see the headlines:
"Apple iPhone used to power massive self propelled IED."
Mmm. I guess this isn't the time or place, but I have long thought that the west is pretty lucky that we are fighting religious nuts in the War on whatever. If we were fighting tech nuts, I think there would be a lot more casualties.
Imagine if the Apple people went bad, folks. Imagine. Apple is definitely one religion you want to keep happy.
FIRST Robotics should be capitalized. (FIRST = For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, I think). It's a national competition pairing engineers with high school kids.
ex ped: Thanks! Link added.
Sorry JRCH, but I have to correct you on the term "jerry-rigging".
It was not considered an insult when the Allies used the term to describe a piece of scavenged equipment used by the German soldiers.
In fact, the Germnas were very good at improvising discarded or confiscated Allied equipment and turning it to usefull purposes for their own endeavors on the battlefield.
Example: during the African campaign, the Germans were always short of vehicles and heavy weapons. In turn their field officers put together documentation, for use by their soldiers in the field on how to best utilize and incorporate captured or confiscated enemy vehicles, weapons and spare parts into filed use by the German military.
They were quite successful at it. And were able to accomplish much with a lot less.