Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

Believe it or not, a device-controlled car isn't exactly fresh. In fact, we've actually seen a PSP control a Civic before Barack Obama was even a glimmer in the media's eye. That said, we're always willing to give credit where it's due, and the iDriver app just might be the most impressive use of Apple's smartphone... well, ever. As the name implies, this here app is able to control a heavily wired vehicle seemingly with ease -- the accelerometer handles the steering, and two soft buttons on the screen handle braking and acceleration. We'd bother explaining more, but we know you've already clicked past the break to see the whole thing demonstrated on video. Right?

[Via Engadget German]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:08PM]

James Bond already did it.

[Bublik25 Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:09PM]

haha true

[TheAngryIntern Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:10PM]

not from an iPod/iPhone. For that we need to go to Dr. Horrible, who had an iPhone app that controlled a vehicle (or at least tried to until Capt. Hammer broke it)

[jhoff80 Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:21PM]

Plus, James Bond had to use a touchpad to control his car, which isn't as natural as an accelerometer for it.

[ctgaffney Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:41PM]

if James Bond had the "reliability" of AT&T's 3G network, he'd have to go back and beat Q with the remote for all the collateral damage and failed missions.

[Funke Tobias Dr Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:46PM]

You forgot that before beating Q, he'd tell him, "there's a whap for that."

[kgod0wnz Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:53PM]

Bond did it with a Ericsson phone. That's why he's 007.

[Dolphers Posted Oct 14th 2009 5:02PM]

Dr. Horrible did it also, but he had that little can thingy on the top of the van.

"I stopped the van, the remote control was in my hand!"

[Dolphers Posted Oct 14th 2009 5:03PM]

Ugh - I fail at reading the previous comment by The Angry Intern. My bad.

[Toneglaso Posted Oct 14th 2009 5:30PM]

As did Dr. Horrible in Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog.

[akn320 Posted Oct 14th 2009 7:42PM]

Now all we need is for it to be completely bulletproof.

[Mr Blurrycam Posted Oct 14th 2009 8:49PM]

Mr. Bean did it (2:30)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zavsd6etz_Q

[Slaarg Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:08PM]

Meh, they already did this with a Sony Ericcson and a BMW 750 iL (well it was for James Bond)

[ImDaIllest Posted Oct 15th 2009 12:30AM]

doing it on a minivan is LAME! i'd like to control a ferrari f430 with a remote, that would be sweeet!

[216 Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:09PM]

now that's just not safe

[aalmeida259 Posted Oct 14th 2009 8:45PM]

Yeah God forbid you get a phone call while using this.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 10:47PM]

I feel this is one instance when multi-tasking on the iphone would be a bad thing. Thanks AT&T and Apple for looking out for our safety!

[Joshua Przygocki Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:10PM]

Now can you make it go at more than one speed?

[Danthok Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:32PM]

My thought too, need to add a throttle bar to adjust the amount of force on the accelerator. Probably a hard brake button as well for safety.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:10PM]

Pretty impressive! Wonder if by 2020 we will see something like this, kind of scary for consumers...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:19PM]

In the year 2000.....

[John Doe Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:21PM]

Yah the minute this is available for your average consumer I will telecommute to work, use SimonDelivers for grocery shopping, rent all my movies online, and pretty much never leave my bunker until the world is a burn out husk as the last driver slams headfirst into the last gas station.

[Peter F Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:11PM]

The controls are pretty horrible. A game controller like the xbox 360 wireless controller would be WAY better. Or even use the PS3 controller because it has bluetooth and could easily interface with a smartphone to relay it to WiFi.

[xCrunk Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:16PM]

What? Precision control? What is this buffoonery you speak of?

Don't you realize you're talking to a bunch of people who think Natal is the next coming of Christ for videogames.

Precision controls, and tactile feedback, be damned.

[rbz Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:25PM]

agreed, the finer control of a remote control with actual joysticks beats this anyday...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:41PM]

They should have used the ipod touch. Not that the inputs are different or anything, but the ipod touch is a great gaming device.

[Dustin F Posted Oct 14th 2009 5:56PM]

The iPhone has cachet. People secretly (and ridiculously) wait to see this pop up in the store.

The PSP controllers would fell a hell of a lot more safe for me, but I don't mind the d-pad. After all, if I can drive the Nurburgring at 150 mph with PSP controls, that ought to be good enough. Which means, of course, that the old NES's controller is good enough too.

[The Two Posted Oct 14th 2009 6:56PM]

They should have sliders for the gas and the brake, and whenever the brake is engaged the gas automatically goes to zero and vice versa.

[HookEmHorns Posted Oct 14th 2009 7:10PM]

Yeah this seems pretty pointless. I race nitro R/C cars and we have WAY better controls for those vehicles. They should have used a high end hobby controller like an Airtronics M11 or Futaba 4pk. Even the older M8's or 3pk's are very good and are relatively cheap these days. They use a proprietary 2.4gHz encrypted signal, much more reliable than wifi

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 10:57PM]

Tim: It's not about the quality...it's about teh iPhoen!

[EM1 Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:13PM]

Smartphone, keep kidding yourself!

Sorry, not starting a war here. I've owned one for 2+ years now. I don't know if I'd call it that or not. But why even use the adjective? Everyone heard of the iPhone by now. No need to start a way to improve ratings.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:14PM]

@Peter Funt above.
Bluetooth might have significantly worse connectionrange ;)

[dougdeep Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:14PM]

I guess we won't hear about suicide bombers anymore.

[dougdeep Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:15PM]

On second thought, a human life is far cheaper than your AT&T data plan.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:17PM]

Made me laugh.

[Topsy Kretts Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:14PM]

Yo Darren, the media slobberfest over Obama began in '04 at Kerry's DNC... wayyy before '06. Check your facts, fool.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:18PM]

Sad, but so true.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:17PM]

I like the porn music in the video

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2009 4:41PM]

music is great!! look up the band YELLO ( do you remember Ferris Bueller's Day Off - oh yeah song - same band)

but yea its good music!!

[Steve B Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:18PM]

I'm fine with you disagreeing with his ideas and policies, but I really don't think it can be denied that Obama is a pretty smart guy, especially when compared with Bush.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:19PM]

Compass augmented reality apps n now this!
So can n900 bb htc motorila Sony do this?

Crickest!
Exactly. It's called consumer electronics decision making purchase envy!
Sick dude.

[MarcusMaximus Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:24PM]

Yep, they all could. With exactly the same process to accomplish it. Oh and cool that you're finally enjoying augmented reality apps, I've kinda gotten over them since they first started appearing for the G1 about 11 months ago.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 8:32PM]

"Motorilla" Is that Motorola + Gorilla

Well anything at this point will help this company...

Sholes and Click please hurry....we won't last much longer

[montysaurus Posted Oct 14th 2009 5:30PM]

the difference is, apple would decide if a consumer could have this.
the more open platforms would just let you do it

[1 Posted Oct 14th 2009 6:37PM]

Are you really that illiterate or is it the iphone keyboard?

[Teslanaut Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:19PM]

Doctor Horrible coulda used this.

[Nomadic0ne Posted Oct 14th 2009 6:25PM]

Haha! That's exactly what I thought about when I read the headline!

I half expected Capt. Hammer to drop down onto the roof of the van. :)

[kjb434 Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:21PM]

I second that!!!

We're on the fourth idiot in a row right now!

Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama

There needs to be a way to resurrect Reagan!

[MarcusMaximus Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:21PM]

You mean the idiot who graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude? Must be pretty stupid.

[cornbread Posted Oct 14th 2009 4:25PM]

anyone who accepts a nobel peace prize he didn't earn is an idiot. He also believes in global warming...