RC car controlled via computer

[drage]

Hi all,

Was just thinking to myself, a really really simple way of controlling an RC car / vehicle would be via a computer controlling the transmitter, the PC could input into a PIC microcontroller, which would then make pins go 'HIGH', which could switch a relay on or something, which could operate a switch on a transmitter?

that sounds possible to me?

I also thought that perhaps you could use a joystick on yoru computer, and develop software to read the joystick positions and relay this to the PIC??

Further extensions on this idea would be actually plotting the room/area your car/RC model was in, into a 3d environment on the computer, you could somehow have a window with relayed video footage, and the 3d model would move based upon your instructions from the joystick.

Before i start on this one, has anyone done anything like this before? and do you think i would be wasting my time? I think im experiencing ideas overload!

regards,
Paul

 

[Tarsil]

Yes...U are experiencing ideas overload . U could use&modify a remote schematic using a PIC (use google). The Joystick...ok..it can be done. Also the 3D (with enought time and knowledge), but come on....isn't a bit on overengineering side?
Hope u have enought time&res

 

[Tarsil]

Realy simple way of controling a RC car is using a remote (a pic and a rf part). U realy want to have a laptop with you al the time and the joystick?

 

[penoy_balut]

it has been done many times, but being able to do it yourself is the joy of it

 

[MrSeaton]

I think it would be a neat idea.

I think the joystick would be a great way to do it. My experiance is with basic stamps. I think you could figure out a way to replace the pots in the transmitter and controll them with the basic stamp. I think the voltage is 0 to 5v on the pots. You could write a program on the basic stamp to recieve the input from the computer and have it output to the car tx.

If it were me I would figure out a way to capture the input from a joystick and pass it to the program written on the basic stamp. Use the forward and backward axis on the joystick to control the speed and the left and right to control the turning.

I wrote a program a while back that let me control a servo from a windows form using a basic stamp. The only differance you need would be to control the voltage (0-5v) for eaxh of the two pots in the car's TX.

Hope that helps
Thanks
John

 

[srimannarayanakarthik]

ya its a good idea.its better to do it with PC because you can use it for many purposes a joy stick is only limited to a specific operation.its better to use either a serial or a parallel port,so that you can use the same circuit for doing an anothet project.
also i think what you have thought consumes a lot of time to complete it fully.so better divide it into small parts and complete it

 

[drage]

thanks for all of your input, working out variable voltage should be quite easy i think (!!)

i might have a look on google for simple circuits that have already been done to reduce my workload and kick start it, but i really dont see it costing more than £20 to create..

I know already how to create a basic 3d model and move around it with code, be it in visual basic or otherwise, i could then have this app sending code to another section which interfaces with the pic..

seems quite simple in theory (but isnt everything?!)

will let you know how i get on!

Paul