i would like to create a RC car using an arduino board as the core brain of the project, and either an RF transmitter or bluetooth transmitter to forward the comands from my laptop to the arduino. Has any one done something like this? It seems like it could be relatively simple once the modes of transmission are established. I have asked a few questions around my campus and people have suggested using a transmitter from zigbee, or a bluetooth transmitter to control the device. Ultimately i would like to get kind of advanced by controlling the speed of the vehicle with analog motor control, and if possible add a camera to take pictures or stream video.
I know this is a very broad question, but i would appreciate help from anyone who has completed a similar idea, or who would like to collaborate on a project with me. my technical level is very low, but i am in the process of learning more about wiring and programming, and I have access to other knowledgeable at my school people who can help me interperet advice i receive. thanks to anyone who considers my dillemma.
There are bluetooth modules (Bluesmirf) made for the arduino that will do 115k bits/second. That won't get you streaming video since you don't have the horsepower to do compression, but it is plenty for sending command data and telemetry back. If your lapop doesn't have bluetooth already you can use a generic bluetooth USB dongle.
The next piece you will want to look at is something called an H-bridge motor controller. There is an entry in the Arduino tutorial section that talks about that.