(Originally posted on 5th of September 2008) It’s still not even a week since I bought a new iPhone 3G and during this time my brother and I did a lot of cool stuff. The iPhone with its accelerometer and multitouch display is ideal for making gadgets. When I got it home, we started thinking about some cool demos which we could make. Incidentally we found an old R/C car model 
Have you ever seen anything like this? I hadn’t 
Did you ever think that an iPhone could do this? Enjoy!
Update (31st of July 2009)
iPhone Hacks
Hack was very popular, biggest success is one chapter in iPhone Hacks book (O’reilly). It’s great experience and I want to say thanks to Damien Stolarz and Brian Jepson.
Many people asked me about source code, here it is. Documentation and howto are in iPhone Hacks book.
OS 3.0 for iPhone brings some new opportunities, including some bluetooth stuff. But unfortunatelly not SPP, so WIFI is still only chance to send something out from iPhone :-/
Video
iPhone controlled R/C car from Josef Průša on Vimeo. Same video on YouTube.com .
Controlling is very easy with the iPhone 3G. It has five buttons, four of them you can use for traditional „driving“ and when you press the last one, it unlocks the accelerometer control in the same way as in many driving games available on AppStore. Realization of this project did not take a long time, only one afternoon. Technically it is realized in a hell-bent way, but obviously it’s functional. Schematically: iPhone (OSCemote) → WiFi → PC → Max/Msp → Serial port → Arduino → Original controller. If you have some other cool ideas, leave it in comments. We can surely realize it .
OSCemote
OSCemote is application which sends data from iPhone to PC. It does it thru WIFI using OpenSoundControl protocol. You can buy it in AppStore ore try free lite version (unfortunately without accelerometer support 
) By the way, some big and complex audio softwares are compatible with OSC standard. For example, Traktor 3 by Native Instruments can sync tempo over OSC. You can download test patch here. For functionality you have to download Max 5 runtime.
OSCemote
Max/Msp
On PC connected to network is running Max patch, which catches data from iPhone, converts it into simpler form and send it thru serial port to Arduino.
Max/Msp is generally used for audiovisual instalations, but also can do crazy things like this project .
Max/MSP 5 patch
Arduino
Arduino is simple development kit with
microprocessor. Arduino process data from Max and next simulate switching on
real R/C controller using transistors.
Arduino controlling original remote
PS
If you like our idea, please Dig it!! or link it from your blog
Jannine Cayaba 3.44 on 4. 8. 2009 Permalink
hi, can you help me im jannine and i am at my final term here in college, im taking up computer engineering, and your topic is one of my topic also for my research i would be glad if your able to help me finish it…
Wholesale 4.13 on 5. 8. 2009 Permalink
Arduino process data from Max and next.
prusajr 9.33 on 5. 8. 2009 Permalink
Arduino process data from Max and then controls original remote control by four switching tranzistors
Hugo 22.53 on 11. 8. 2009 Permalink
Hello, I am very interested in your project, it ’s great. I already have the first edition of iPhone hacks, and your project doesn’t appear in it, I would ask you if it ’s possible to find a solution for you to provide me with the documentation of your project.
Best regards.
prusajr 23.54 on 11. 8. 2009 Permalink
Its in the book, but under “Controlling real word with iPhone” or something, I don’t have the book with me so I cant tell you right page number
Hugo 21.22 on 12. 8. 2009 Permalink
Thank you for responding so quickly. Indeed, the tutorial begins on page 412 of Iphone Hacks. I finished the software and radio controller part, I am juste whaiting for the Arduino module which is delivered.
Hugo 13.30 on 13. 8. 2009 Permalink
I have a little problem with the remote, in fact in place of switches, I have potentiometers. I, would know if it ’s possible to use this method with potentiometer.
And if later it is possible to modify the program to have a progressive motor and direction control in place of a control all or nothing.
Best regards
Hugo
Khaled 9.56 on 11. 9. 2009 Permalink
Hello,
I have download and test Max Runtime with OSCemote it’s works very well thanks you but how to transfer the signal on the serial port ?
Best regards
Catarino 20.31 on 30. 10. 2009 Permalink
hello prusajr, recently did a project similar to yours, have command car connected to computer, iphone connected computer by wifi and use oscemote to control it. i have a webcam on car and wonder if you can use the Accelerometer and receive video signal from webcam at the same time. idea was control car and view full video on the iphone at the same time? Any app to do that?
Best regards
Catarino
prusajr 21.49 on 30. 10. 2009 Permalink
@Catarino: You will probably have to program your own iPhone software to do this
Thomas 3.25 on 9. 11. 2009 Permalink
Hey, what transistors did you use? I am trying to do something similar.
sumesh 14.03 on 25. 12. 2009 Permalink
hey can any 1 tel how to build this car, plz give me full information on this or give me link where i can find it
mail me at sumeshjadhav@gmail.com
WLee 6.26 on 3. 1. 2010 Permalink
I am just curious. What is the range of the remote control car and is it line of sight only?
jannine cayaba 18.47 on 14. 1. 2010 Permalink
hi can u send me again the software usend to me before the oscemote and the otherone u gave me? thnx so much sir
Ozirock 2.40 on 22. 1. 2010 Permalink
I done a similar project using a Velleman k8055 usb interface board to control the RC car from the computer. You can check mine out at http://ozirock.webs.com/ I’d be very grateful of your opinion. Mine wasn’t as complicated as yours just a simple interface with the computer.