Build an Internet Controlled Robot

A robot's domain of activities can be increased thousand fold, if it is controlled by internet.

Method 1 of 5: Wireless Card Method

    1Build a desired robot or you can directly purchase it from any vendor.
  2Search for the Wireless Internet Data Card in your country. It allows you to access internet while on the move.
    3Insert this card on the interface of robot. So, that your robot can start receiving signals anywhere in the city.
    4Integrate the software on your personal computer, which can receive all your instructions and then send it via internet to the Robot, standing at a distant location.
   5Open your laptop in your house, instruct the activity from the software to your robot, confirm the activity over the internet, and your robot will move forward or backward or do the required action asked by you at distant location.

Method 2 of 5: Router Based Method
Parts required for this
    Linksys WRT54G Router - Used as the wireless connection from Bestbuy
    Comfiletech: Industrial Micro Controller/PLC "Cubloc"- I'm using the industrial kit for all my projects, but you can purchase the parts separately:
        The Industrial Kit
        Maxport: Ethernet to RS232 converter with web server.
    Required robot.
    Camera: The network camera draws about 2 amps at 12VDC.
    Build a robot that can be controlled and viewed over the internet. The planned final version will be a robot with a network camera attached. The onboard Linksys router will transmit the camera and micro controller signals to a second Linksys router attached to the cable internet at the remote location.
    Take any robot, whom you want to be remote controlled.

Setting up the Router Bridge
    1This is the key to the project. I needed the router to "bridge" to my home router, so it could act as the wireless modem. While I could transmit directly from my laptop to the router on the robot, my goal is to control a security robot via the internet. The laptop is talking to my home wireless router, not directly to the router on the robot. I've already tested it over the internet from a coffee shop. The onboard router connects to the micro controller via the Maxport server, and will connect to a network camera in the future.
    2We purchased a $49 Linksys WRT54G router from Best Buy and flashed new DD-WRT firmware into the router. This is open source firmware that teaches the router new tricks, like bridging and significantly increasing the power. What a hassle though. It turns out the new routers have less memory than the old ones and several steps are required. The risk is turning your new router into a "brick". At any rate it worked. Here in the aricle, under "do port fowarding" are the instructions.

    Note: If you are using a new Linksys Router, V.5 or higher, you will need to follow these special instructions to flash the new firmware because the new routers have less memory.

Method 3 of 5: Do Port Forwarding
Internet Interface

    1There are two components to the interface. One a Visual basic program that sends and receives commands to the cubloc. Two, the cubloc program that receives the commands, controls the cubloc and turns the outputs on and off. The connection is: Laptop>Home Router>Bridged Route>Maxport>Cubloc

Visual Basic Program

    1I modified the visual basic program to automatically connect to my router via it's IP address when the "Connect Button" is pressed. The grid of buttons on the right send simple 4 digit commands to the car. Buttons above the red square issue forward commands with an appropriate steering component. Buttons below the red box issue reverse commands with appropriate steering signals. For example, the button two positions above the red square and two positions to the right issues the command "F2R3". Move forward for time 2 while steering to the right for time 3.
    2The Maxport is sticking out the backend of truck connected to the Linksys router through the blue ethernet cable. 2 Green lights can been seen on the Cubloc. The LCD display is in the passenger window. The relays are in the back window of the truck.

Method 4 of 5: The Wiring

    1The RC controls were completely removed from the robot and discarded. I simply cut the wires from the drive and steering motors and substituted an 8 relay board connected to the micro controller. 4 relays are used for each motor to swap the polarity. I'm using (2) 9 volt batteries and a 12VDC voltage regulator to power the Linksys router (they probably won't last more than 30 min). I'm using (3) 9vdc batteries to power the cubloc controller. The motors are powered by the original 9 vdc rechargeable battery pack.

Method 5 of 5: Cubloc Program

The micro controller program is very simple: read it on this site.