Android Smartphone Can Control Robots On Its Own

You’ve certainly seen mobile phones controlling various devices before, with television sets probably one of the more common devices, but what about the phone autonomously controlling its steed by itself? That’s what a duo of web engineers have done. Dubbed the Truckbot, this setup has a HTC G1 attached to the chassis, acting as a brain, controlling the chassis. Thanks to the phone’s built-in compass, it can navigate and turn in specified directions. The best part is that since it’s a DIY job, the cost of it was about $30, and the instructions have been listed online. A breakdown of the money spent to come up with this includes:

• $16 Bare bones Arduino
• $3 Micro servo
• $0.25 Hex inverter (handled 3.3v to 5v conversion)
• $4 HTC USB breakout board
• $3 Mini breadboard
• $4 miscellaneous cardboard, strap ties, wires, rear wheel

Matthew Chung
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android, arduino, control, g1, Google, Robot