UIRemote: Universal Remote Application For IPhone

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-SlcjmqeYw]

When several students from the University of Toronto became tired of having multiple remotes lying around, they decided to do something about it. Their solution to this problem came in the form of UIRemote, a universal remote application for the iPhone. The application allows the iPhone to control anything that is normally controlled by an infrared remote, thanks to the use of a custom infrared adapter that plugs into the phone’s headphone port. It’s a technique similar to our iPod remote control from 2004. While the UIRemote application and adapter are still in beta, the students expect to release both things simultaneously sometime within the next two months.

[via Engadget]

18 thoughts on “UIRemote: Universal Remote Application For IPhone

  1. This is nothing new TBH. I had an application for my Palm m130 (PalmOS 4) which did the same thing using the Palm’s built-in IR port. And could even be programmed with arbitrary codes (by recording them from the IR or by manual input).

  2. The iPhone software portion is the only thing that would be “difficult.” The actual transmitter portion should be pretty easy to implement with an IR LED. When the software “learns” the button, i’m assuming it is reading what the IR port is receiving, then storing the signal as an audio file. Pushing a button plays the “audio” file stream and control happens.

  3. I think this is cool. A simple adapter that plugs into the headphone socket. The application would be simply sending sound signals out of the headphone port. Nothing unusual about that and something that is done by many iphone apps. Simple but brilliant. I can’t wait!

  4. Yes, I remember seeing these for palm, also. If I rememeber correctly, you could use the headphone to IR adapter to get better range than the built in one. Plus, if you plugged it in to your mic/line in on a computer, you could record your own remote “audio files”.

  5. brilliant in its elegance. I’ve found that built-in IR ports on handhelds are pretty weak and don’t get much range. they’re meant more for close-range data squirts I think. i’ll bet they get some pretty good power from the headphone amp.

  6. @justxtreme
    “i wonder what they could do with the wii and the ir.”…?
    What are you expecting? The WII doesn’t use IR to transfer any data as such. The controllers just track IR LED’s in the sensor bar. Yes thats right. The “Sensor bar” doesn’t actually sense anything.

  7. I like this project alot.

    Another (free)excellent piece of software for the i-phone or indeed any browser capable device is ngrc

    http://www.olphro.de/wordpress/projekte/ngrc-next-generation-remote-control

    It sets up a web server on Vista Media Centers (working also on Windows 7 apparently) and then is accessed via wifi. I have been using it for a few weeks now and am delighted with it. It can also be re-skinned to match other devices.

    I have a crude Eee PC version running at home on touchscreen modified 901s

    http://www.justblair.co.uk/eee-rc-my-hacked-version-of-ngrc.html

  8. Well it has been a year. What’s happening with this device? I see one has come out which connects to the bottom connector. I liked the idea of the audio connector. If anyone knows, let’s get an update.

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