RobotGrrl Erin Kennedy has pushed back another barrier to easy Robotics. This talented teen is using an iPad to control her Arduino powered Robot RoboBrrd‘s servos. RobotGrrl created an iPad app which will allow her to feed her Feather covered robotic bird using the iPad tablet’s touch screen. Dragging virtual fruit to RoboBrrds beak on the iPad display causes the actual robot to flap his wings and make eating sounds including a burp if he eats too much.
RoboBrrd is a sophisticated Robot made from Popsicle sticks and pencils. Kennedy designed RoboBrrd to be a fun introduction to robotics that anyone could build. The Robot was originally designed for a competition in MAKE Magazine, but RobottGrrl has continued to refine and develop her feathered friend. RoboBrrd is an open source project and plans are available if you would like to build your own.
Connecting an Arduino microprocessor to an iPad is accomplished through the use of a new serial cable available from RedPark Product Developement. With the cable, and a DB9 connector breakout board, the cable can connect to the Arduino’s USB port to send data back and forth to the iPad. RedPark has supplied an SDK which will allow iOS programmers to easily use the cable to develop their own apps.
RobotGrrl released a video which not only explains how to use the serial cable with the iPad, she also explains how her code works. Programmers can load in a set of headers and libraries to control the serial cable. The ipad data is transmitted and received via the cable to the Arduino. An Arduino sketch (program) uses the transmitted data to interact with the Robot.
RobotGrrl has just begun to scratch the surface of the many uses for this new technology. She plans to develop other iPad apps to help introduce more people to Robotics. For more information about her projects, check out the articles listed below.
Meet RobotGrrl
Meet RoboBrrd
Teen Roboticist Controls Robot from iPad
To get more information about the RedPark Serial Cable SDK click here.
Robotgrrl blog.
It really is difficult to get informed persons for this matter, however you sound like you understand what you are dealing with! Thx
I’m trying to use the Arduino to control a remote control robot using the IPAD. We are wondering if their is an app made to connect the Arduino and the Ipad together. I saw that you all accomplished this so I’m also wondering if we can get that app.
You may want to check out Robotgrrl’s blog for detail and the special cable she used. The Cable needed is the listed in the post.
Bill