Internet controlled RC car

Thread Starter

MrNobody

Joined Sep 5, 2006
10
Hi..
I need some advice on my college project.
I am planning to build an internet controlled RC car..
As it sounds, the objective is for it to be controlled by a computer connected to the internet.. The receiver is the laptop connected to the internet wirelessly so that it can move with the car. I will be using parallel port to interface the laptop to the car. There will be a webcam on the car to enable me to see where the car is moving.

The area that i need advice is on the hardware.. The car with the laptop will be heavier than a normal RC car. So, I need advice on the type of motor it need to use (as in the voltage of it), and also the types of battery and battery charger to use.

Anybody know where i can get more information on building an internet controlled car?

Thanks for the advice...
 

n9352527

Joined Oct 14, 2005
1,198
It'd probably easier to keep the laptop with you and connect the RC transmitter to the laptop instead. For the vision system, you could use a wireless camera. There are plenty of them around from a cheapo version that you have to interface yourself to the laptop or an expensive wifi one that can be interfaced directly through TCP/IP. This way you don't have to modify the car much, except to mount the camera and maybe an extra power pack for the camera.
 

Thread Starter

MrNobody

Joined Sep 5, 2006
10
Oh.. thats ia a good idea...
Do you know of any cheap type of wireless camera that I can use..?
As in the brand or model..
Thanks..
 

xphere

Joined Sep 29, 2006
15
Tower hobbies would probably be your best bet, or a similar store. RC airplanes have complete camera kits for them, you may want to look at one of those getups.
 

Thread Starter

MrNobody

Joined Sep 5, 2006
10
Tower hobbies would probably be your best bet, or a similar store. RC airplanes have complete camera kits for them, you may want to look at one of those getups.
Thanks... btw.. i m from malaysia and i don't think there is a Tower store near my place... can u recommend me some cheap wireless camera that i can use..? maybe let me know the model number so that i can look for it in malaysia..
Thanks heaps..
 

Thread Starter

MrNobody

Joined Sep 5, 2006
10
Tower hobbies would probably be your best bet, or a similar store. RC airplanes have complete camera kits for them, you may want to look at one of those getups.
Thanks... btw.. i m from malaysia and i don't think there is a Tower store near my place... can u recommend me some cheap wireless camera that i can use..? maybe let me know the model number so that i can look for it in malaysia..
Thanks heaps..
 

Thread Starter

MrNobody

Joined Sep 5, 2006
10
http://www.towerhobbies.com/
I just looked there they dont have what you want there.

but this might work.
http://www.gadspot.com/product_info.php?products_id=57
The camera looks nice... but it is way too costly..
It would cost $300 to $400 for me to get it as i live in malaysia, taking into account the conversion rate..
Are there any alternative..? A cheaper second hand wireless camera perhaps..?
Or even a second hand cheap motor, battery and charger unit to power the car with the laptop on top..
 

BladeSabre

Joined Aug 11, 2005
105
I just had a look on eBay for cameras for radio-controlled toys - might one of those be within your price range?

Most of them seem to output a TV signal, and I'm not sure what's involved in interfacing that to a computer, but it's got to be possible.

EDIT: And most of them won't ship to Malaysia... that's not good.
 

Thread Starter

MrNobody

Joined Sep 5, 2006
10
Do you have access to any kind of camera? I have a Sony digital that can act as a web cam.
Yeah.. I have a logitech webcam.. just not the i can send video image wirelessly tho.. Is there any cheap device that i can attach to enable me to send the signal wirelessly to computer..?
 
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