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iPhone controls iRobot PackBot remotely – no web access needed

Categories: Apple, iOS / iPhone OS, iPhone
By: , IntoMobile
Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 10:03 PM

Granted, controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle using the iPhone over a dedicated web-server is more a gimmick than a true use of the iPhone as a remote control. But, it’s still cool.

So, then, that would make this remote controlled iRobot truly trick. The iPhone you see in this video is being used to connect to, and control, the iRobot PackBot through WiFi. There’s no web-server, there’s not even any web-access involved here. The iPhone connects directly with the iRobot PackBot and issues controls without the assistance of a proxy server.

The iRobot PackBot remote control application was developed as a native iPhone application – which means, again, no web-based gimmicks here.

After almost a year of iPhone development, it’s still inspiring to see what creative minds can do with a flexible development platform. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the iPhone boasts 3.5 inches of multi-touch goodness.

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About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • dave

    There are so many things wrong with this blog entry!

    “Granted, controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle using the iPhone over a dedicated web-server is more a gimmick than a true use of the iPhone as a remote control. But, it’s still cool.”

    The PackBot is NOT an unmanned aerial vehicle. This iphone app doesn’t connect over a dedicated web server.

    Also why would a web based solution be a ‘web-based gimmick’?

    The poster obviously has no idea what they are talking about.

  • Will Park

    Umm, yea. Please click the link above to educate yourself on what I was referring to.

    The unmanned aerial vehicle was controlled using the iPhone as a remote control, but any handset could have been used to send commands through the web-server – thus, the use of the iPhone was gimmicky in that particular situation. This was a story I previously posted.

    The PackBot is NOT and unmanned aerial vehicle – there’s no doubt about that.

    Thanks for your input.

  • Will Park

    The link to which I was referring is embedded in the text: “iPhone over a dedicated web-server” – just to make sure things don’t get confused.