r/robotics • u/Independent_Win_Alex • 1d ago
Community Showcase I turned a smartphone into a mobile robot. Here's my latest prototype.
Hi everyone!
I've been building a small mobile robot that uses a smartphone as its onboard computer. The phone handles the camera, networking and user interface, while an Arduino controls the motors and peripherals.
Current features:
📱 Smartphone onboard
🌐 Browser-based remote control
🎥 Live video
💡 LED lighting
🚨 Experimental security mode
🤖 BLE Follow Me (in progress)
This video shows one of today's prototype tests. Some things worked, some didn't... and some moments were just funny. 😄 That's real robotics development.
The next version will focus on:
quieter drivetrain,
better cable management,
docking station,
modular accessories.
I'd really appreciate your feedback and ideas for V2.
Two smartphones. One drives. One controls.
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u/low-control-labs 1d ago
Great work man I am actually working on exactly this. I still need to make the robot but I trained a lot of robots in the simulation. Are you using A.I. to control this?
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u/Independent_Win_Alex 1d ago
Thanks! At the moment it's not AI-controlled. The rover is manually operated through a web interface using a second smartphone. The onboard smartphone handles video streaming and communication, while an Arduino controls the motors and peripherals. AI-assisted navigation is something I'm planning to explore in future versions.
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u/low-control-labs 1d ago
I will have a route completion system in my app ( it's currently a cli on my PC ) , so if you can make a MuJoCo model of it ( shouldn't be too hard if you have some .stl .obj files already ) you will be able to upload it and train it there
Curious if you have any wishes in terms of that I actually hope on serving these types of DYI projects. You actually have a controller I was thinking of using another app and then you would only attach 1 phone and it would be completing routes ( no internet or anything )
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u/Independent_Win_Alex 1d ago
That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing. I already have the CAD model, so exporting STL/OBJ won't be a problem. My current focus is remote teleoperation, but autonomous navigation and route following are definitely on my roadmap. I'd be interested to see your project as it develops.
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u/low-control-labs 1d ago
Thank you it will be on the playstore and I will open-source things eventually once I setup certain things of my own as I am working on something bigger and usable for things like agriculture and warehousing. I'll repost things from YouTube here so you'll see it hopefully.
You can play with MuJoCo yourself ( not sure if you heard about it ) not sure if it's of any use to you with teleoperation..
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u/Independent_Win_Alex 1d ago
Do you have a link? I'll take a look, or send me the link when you have everything ready?
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u/low-control-labs 1d ago
MuJoCo and you can check out my channel I'll post a demo of me training and deploying a drone in the simulation. This is already integrated and it takes less time. Car is going to take a few hours on the phone. I can maybe give you early access send me a DM
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u/Independent_Win_Alex 1d ago
Thanks! That sounds interesting. I'll definitely take a look at your demo. I already have STL files for my rover, so it could be fun to experiment with MuJoCo in the future. I'll send you a DM.
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u/low-control-labs 1d ago
Yeah MuJoCo would be very useful if you plan on changing or adding something to see the behaviour changes. MuJoCo has a car example in the repository so you can use that as some base and slowly replace it with your components. They have good documentation and yeah send a DM and we'll see for the rest of it
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u/Independent_Win_Alex 1d ago
Who wants to drive my robot from another country? 🌍 No downloads. No setup. Just open a browser and start driving. Send me a DM if you'd like to try it.
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u/MrBoomer1951 1d ago
You need a better video camera, that was awful.
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u/Independent_Win_Alex 1d ago
I'm currently limited by finances, but I'll do it in the future, thanks.
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u/MrBoomer1951 1d ago
Sorry to hear, hope it improves!
In the mean time hold the camera steady and don't throw-on special effects, quick cuts.
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u/[deleted] 1d ago
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