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BlueDrone Android-controlled RC car

BlueDrone Android-controlled RC car
BlueDrone is an RC Nissan GT-R model controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity
BlueDrone is an RC Nissan GT-R model controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity
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BlueDrone is an RC Nissan GT-R model controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity
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BlueDrone is an RC Nissan GT-R model controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity
BlueDrone is an RC Nissan GT-R model controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity
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BlueDrone is an RC Nissan GT-R model controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity

The Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter was one of the first smartphone-controlled RC toys ... and it won't be the last. This example called BlueDrone (which isn't from Parrot) is an RC car in the form of Nissan GT-R 1:20 scale model, controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity.

Controlling the BlueDrone requires any Bluetooth-enabled Android device equipped with a free control app, to be available at the product launch. It will allow users to steer the car either with a touchscreen, or with motion control utilizing the smartphone's accelerometer. The RC car is Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR compatible, pairing with up to 8 devices, with around a 30-foot (9.14 m) range. It requires three AA batteries, offering three hours of battery life, and a phone or tablet with Android 2.1 or higher on board. It weighs 0.6 lb (0.27 kg) and measures 8" x 3.2" x 2.75" (20.3 x 8.1 x 6.9 cm).

For comparison, the Parrot AR.Drone is WiFi-controlled, and comes with two cameras attached to it. Initially designed for iOS, it's now also compatible with Android-, bada- and Symbian-based devices. It was released in October 2010, priced at US$299 ... and of course, it flies!

BlueDrone is not a retail product yet. Stephen Mark, who submitted BlueDrone to Kickstarter, is seeking a sum of US$200,000 (there's been only US$3,660 at the moment of writing) to cover the cost of mass production.

The car is said to be production-ready with appropriate molds and tooling. BlueDrone's team points out it needs approximately 8-12 weeks for the product to be shipped provided the funds are completed. The price for pre-orders has been set at US$59.

Source: Kickstarter.

Check out the video below to see the BlueDrone in action:

BlueDrone - android controlled r/c car

2 comments
2 comments
Fábio Dias
This isn\'t new, Beewi has done it some time ago with it\'s Bluetooth Controlled Car BBZ251-A, also by bluetooth. WIFI is a much better way... It provides much more data...
Charles Bosse
Dias, the problems with running on WiFi are 1) signal interference, 2) lack of flexibility of interface, and 3) lack of plug and play interface. Bluetooth may not run as much data, but does an RC car really need a Gbps interface? If so, it would make as much sense to run it on 4G with a camera (which really is only a program and some duct tape away already)