Controlling a Robot From a Smartphone's Headphone Jack

RedEaredSlider passes along this excerpt about what looks like a smart advance in controlling hobbyist robots:"The concept is quite simple: put a wheeled chassis on a smart phone or iPod Touch that allows for using the device as the 'brain.' But that simplicity is what makes the robot, called Romo, powerful. Since the controls are contained entirely within the phone, they can be downloaded as apps. One can add new physical capabilities to Romo -– a claw, or a scoop -– but that doesn't require any new additions to the phone. Also, the controls are through the headphone jack. That simplifies the design and means that the robot doesn't need to be linked with only one brand of smart phone."

Not new

[ewanm89]

You mean like ham operators have been doing to control their SDR radio units for years?

Re:Audio jack to get a standard connector?

[SuricouRaven]

Because apps don't have access to the USB interface. At the very least you'd have to root/jailbreak the phone.

Re:Not new

[Lisias]

1) Take any old but effective idea from the past
2) Use it on a Apple device
3) ...
4) PROFIT!

Serious, nice idea but far, far away from an advance or breakthrough.

Before you get too excited...

[bradgoodman]

Apple's developer agreement prohibits applications which execute any kind of interpreted, or downloaded code.

So if you're envisioning an NTX-G style of robotics environment for the iPhone, you may need to think again.

Even a simple "Big-Trak"-type (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Trak [wikipedia.org] ) application would technically violate such terms. So - Android would clearly be the superior platform of this type of development.