iPad App Blends Virtual Warfare & Real-World Characters

This project is a basic proof of concept of creating a “physical” video game using real-world characters.  For this project, a tank and robot duke it out with the help of an Arduino, iPad, and wifi.  Essentially, when the tank’s targeting system is adjusted using the iPad app, the physical tank responds accordingly.  When the tank successfully hits its target, the robot’s indicator LED turns red and the iPad app reflects the successful strike.

Both the robot and tank are equipped with Arduino Wifi modules which interact with the iPad via a PHP webpage.  While it’s just a simple proof of concept for now, think of expanding this into something like a first-person quadrocopter war!  Just imagine your tablet as a window into your quadrocopter’s cockpit with buttons to fire at and ‘destroy’ your enemy.  Awesome stuff!  Check out the project’s build instructions to create your own real-world video game.