Hey guys! I'm a software developer with proficiency in C/C++/C#. I recently purchased a 3D printer and having tons of fun with that, so I'm excited now to try to learn and create new things. I've tinkered with electronics in the past and have a basic foundation, but not much more than what I learned from the old Radio Shack 200-in-One project kits years ago.
I first heard about Arduino watching a YouTube clip of Adam Savage's Cave, and I see quite a few robot kits on Thingiverse that use them as well. I have ordered the starter kit which includes the UNO R3 and also a WiFi shield, and installed the Arduino IDE on my PC. I know I have a lot of reading to do, and of course I will do all the projects and learn from that, but the big question I want to ask the pros is this :
I want to make a robot that uses sensors and servos, and it be able to communicate with my PC wirelessly through my home network. I have it in my mind that I want to write a C++ application that will allow me to actuate and animate the various servos and control the robot from my PC using the logic I build into my program. Is this technically feasible? While I'm sure its possible to write code and upload it to the Arduino and have it run all its logic independently, I was hoping to use the Arduino as more of a control mechanism and have the real "brains" of my robot running within an app on my desktop, communicating in real-time with the device via my network ( or perhaps some hybrid of that ) Quite possibly ambitious Yes, but this is my goal, and I'd appreciate any advice in terms of Can this work in theory, What components would you recommend? Thanks in advance for any feedback!