Mazda RX-8 controlled with iPod touch, Batman said to be jealous but coping

We've seen some interesting ways people have tried to meld iPhone with car, but this one might top them all. Meet Jon's Mazda RX-8, controllable from anywhere in the world using an iPod touch over WiFi. As demonstrated on video, his custom web app can be used to lock and unlock the doors, start and stop the engine, and open the truck. A telemetry window provides data such as fuel level, battery voltage, RPM, speed, and temperatures. It's even got a GPS so you can track the car's wherabouts with Google Maps. All of this is accomplished with computer hidden in the trunk, hooked up to the on-board diagnostics, and equipped with a 3G modem to stay constantly connected to the interwebs. There's no indication on whether he plans to take the mod further, but if so, we can only hope it involves some well-placed cameras and a tilt-controlled steering mechanism. We pity the foolish thief who tries to steal this "haunted" ride. Check out the video demonstration after the break.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Apr 1st 2009 3:38AM]

I love it!

[David @ Apr 1st 2009 5:42AM]

Until you park for more than a few hours and your battery dies.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Apr 1st 2009 5:46AM]

Check out the links; he thought of "NEARLY" everything, the computer runs on it's own dedicated battery.

[David @ Apr 1st 2009 5:49AM]

Yeaaaa... I just read that.. oops.

Still not sure how great this is.. a car alarm can do most of those things and not have the delay. Not sure why I'd need to lock/unlock/start my car from anywhere in the world.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Apr 1st 2009 5:55AM]

Think of it as a personal Onstar. If you lock your self out, loose your phone, have a dead phone battery, etc, just call a trusted person to unlock the car for you.

[Ry @ Apr 1st 2009 7:33AM]

...wow..

That is amazing..lol and people praze that shit blackberry lol

[Eldiablo @ Apr 1st 2009 7:40AM]

Fantastic. Until it vaporises into nothing at midday on 1st April.

[OneLove @ Apr 1st 2009 10:57AM]

rx-8 is a crap gadget!

[TBob @ Apr 1st 2009 3:39AM]

Dr. Horrible, anyone?

[Zafer Ozsoy @ Apr 1st 2009 4:18AM]

A man gotta do what a man gotta do!

[Kelmon @ Apr 1st 2009 4:48AM]

Dammit, you beat me to it! Which reminds me, I really must download those episodes...

[mabhatter @ Apr 1st 2009 8:39AM]

his iPhone could drive the car... and a remote control drone! The GUI was way better.

[Galley @ Apr 1st 2009 9:05AM]

Any article concerning a vehicle being remotely controlled by an iPod touch that doesn't reference Dr. Horrible is an epic fail!

[Konstantin @ Apr 1st 2009 3:40AM]

Wow! If I had a car I would totally do this. I wonder how much time and money he spent on this.

[saq @ Apr 1st 2009 3:40AM]

Hmmm, remote control cars always seem to go on sale on April 1st.

[PoisonWolf @ Apr 1st 2009 4:23AM]

saq,

That's quite an interesting point. And oddly enough, he kept "missing" it a couple of times.

Haha,
Cheers.

[Jon @ Apr 1st 2009 6:52AM]

That guy must put the home-brewed app in the app store!

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Apr 1st 2009 3:41AM]

Theives take note, his car can easily be stolen using WEP/WPA cracks.

[CaramelZappa @ Apr 1st 2009 3:56AM]

And then you can easily be caught when he tracks the car with the gps locator.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Apr 1st 2009 5:38AM]

Not if the thief jams the signal with a microwave oven.

[Daza @ Apr 1st 2009 8:17AM]

Definitely dangerous with the latency he was experiencing and that he missed the buttons a few times, hah.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Apr 1st 2009 8:32AM]

@Daza, Reminds me of Florida Voters.

[Adam @ Apr 1st 2009 3:41AM]

Sure its neat to be able to do that from "anywhere," though besides locking the car if you forget/aren't sure you remembered I can't really see getting much other practical use out of this, even if it is pretty cool.

[FRANK THE TANK @ Apr 1st 2009 3:42AM]

How did he start the car if it's a stick? I thought starters only work for automatics?

[shawnmos @ Apr 1st 2009 3:50AM]

You gotta leave the car in neutral when you turn it off.

[Jason White @ Apr 1st 2009 6:27AM]

He probably just disconnected the sensor on the floor under the clutch that detects whether the pedal is being pressed, and just left the car in neutral. Then tapped the remote start.

[dj @ Apr 1st 2009 2:09PM]

I made I own remote starter in 1987 and my new car was stick, I did the same thing bypassing the safety feature on the clutch and leaving it in neutral. It was great until one day it was left in 1st and the hand parking break was not fully on, it jumped forward and actually started and rolled into the house. :(

[Beever @ Apr 2nd 2009 11:09AM]

Buddy did this on his friend's Accord. They were at a party and someone kept playing with the remote. Turns out the car had been butting into the garage door repeatedly causing damage to both. Good times.

[JH @ Apr 1st 2009 3:42AM]

So how long till someone hacks his car and really starts messing with him?

[kikkert @ Apr 1st 2009 3:44AM]

@Ross Miller

How on earth can he open the truck with his Ipod? Perhaps you meant Boot, or as the Yanks say...Trunk

[nathan @ Apr 1st 2009 5:09AM]

dude hoosiers say trunk too.

a boot is something you wear on your foot.

trunk comes from the middle english word, "trunke." Which comes from Old French, "tronc." Which means the end of a pointed or projected object. aka car.

boosh

[John @ Apr 1st 2009 11:39AM]

he was pointing out the "truck" instead of "trunk" typo....

[waltzendless @ Apr 1st 2009 3:49AM]

LOL nice one engadget

[GaryZ @ Apr 1st 2009 3:51AM]

could totally be a hoax, e.g. all the demo'd function could be performed by a buddy with the real remote control...

[Nipponese @ Apr 1st 2009 3:52AM]

Arduino can do anything it seems.

[David @ Apr 1st 2009 3:54AM]

First of all nice 8.. I drive a 05. I wish he actually remotely drove the car though.. like forwards. But that's probably too dangerous.

[Daza @ Apr 1st 2009 8:15AM]

Definitely dangerous with the latency he was experiencing and that he missed the buttons a few times, hah.

[Gad Get @ Apr 1st 2009 4:02AM]

"...and open the truck."

???

Ohhhh! Trunk!

[Rakar @ Apr 1st 2009 5:25AM]

The boot you limey bastard

[nighttime__ @ Apr 1st 2009 5:30AM]

he should have said boot, since he's Australian

but then you would have said

"and then we open the boot"

BOOT???????????? oh BOOT.

[Rob Bourne @ Apr 1st 2009 4:03AM]

I see the guillibility factor has tripled this morning...

[apple nerd without a cause @ Apr 1st 2009 4:08AM]

geez i hope that batmans ok i mean if anything happened to him. Oh well he will come out something even more chese like a bphone or a pizza

[SuperDre @ Apr 1st 2009 4:09AM]

And another lame april's fool joke...

[SimonMac @ Apr 1st 2009 4:17AM]

I doubt it, as the original article was posted 31/03/2009

[xValentine @ Apr 1st 2009 4:24AM]

James Bond.

[Al @ Apr 1st 2009 12:40PM]

I saw him do this 10 years ago with a Sony Ericsson

[onepinksheep @ Apr 1st 2009 4:34AM]

Just what you need to steal your very own Wonderflonium!

[Jonathan Oxer @ Apr 1st 2009 4:43AM]

The April Fools day timing was just unfortunate! This is real, it was seen demonstrated live to hundreds of people at linux.conf.au in January where it was featured in a talk, and also when it was on display at Hobart casino. More info on it at http://www.geekmyride.org/wiki/index.php/Jon's_RX-8

[Kandalom @ Apr 1st 2009 4:49AM]

His car is from Ringwood Mazda, Melbourne

[Cyantre @ Apr 1st 2009 4:50AM]

Now all you need to do is steal some Wonderflonium, just watch out for Captain Hammer.