Cell Phone Surveillance Car

There are many viable options for home security systems, but where is the fun in watching a static camera feed from inside your place? The freedom to really look around might have been what compelled [Varun Kumar] to build a security car robot to drive around his place and make sure all is in order.

Aimed at cost-effectiveness and WiFi or internet accessibility, an Android smartphone provides the foundation of this build — skipping the need for a separate Bluetooth or WiFi module — and backed up by an Arduino Uno, an L298 motor controller, and two geared DC motors powering the wheels.

Further taking advantage of the phone’s functionality, the robot is controlled by DTMF tones. Using the app DTMF Tone Generator and outputting through the 3.5mm jack, commands are interpreted by a MT8870DE DTMF decoder module.While this control method carries some risks — as with many IoT-like devices — [Kumar] has circumvented one of DTMF’s vulnerabilities by adding a PIN before the security car will accept any commands.

He obtains a live video feed from the phone using AirDroid in concert with VNC server, and assisted by a servo motor for the phone is enabled to sweep left and right for a better look. A VNC client on [Kumar]’s laptop is able to access the video feed and issue commands. Check it out in action after the break!

Of course, it’s possible to take more active measures once an intruder is spotted, and perhaps even drive them off with a hail of pellets.

15 thoughts on “Cell Phone Surveillance Car

  1. “There are many viable options for home security systems, but where is the fun in watching a static camera feed from inside your place? The freedom to really look around might have been what compelled [Varun Kumar] to build a security car robot to drive around his place and make sure all is in order.”

    Turn into a kill robot.

  2. I actually want to do this with a drone (hexacopter) and have the option to have drone enter and exit house thru a doggie door style setup that only the drone or I can operate. — be great for that late night noise in the back yard.

  3. Sounds cool, he put a lot into this. I would think that this would be an area where a drone would be more useful though? Not trying to take away from his accomplishment, I figured there was already a way to use a drone for this type of surveillance.

  4. I was thinking about the same thing couple of days ago. There are apps out there with IP Webcam name and you can access the camera using IP shown in app.It can be used for surveillance purposes just as soon as the battery has juice left.

  5. Gets smarter and gains user trust. Among most demanded functions are motion, line crossing, fire and smoke, and camera tampering detection. In the past two years, it is face detection and recognition that came into wide acceptance.
    thanks

  6. Further taking advantage of the phone’s functionality, the robot is controlled by DTMF tones. Using the app DTMF Tone Generator and outputting through the 3.5mm jack, commands are interpreted by a MT8870DE DTMF decoder module.While this control method carries some risks — as with many IoT-like devices — [Kumar] has circumvented one of DTMF’s vulnerabilities by adding a PIN before the security car will accept any commands.
    Thanks.

  7. Further taking advantage of the phone’s functionality, the robot is controlled by DTMF tones. Using the app DTMF Tone Generator and outputting through the 3.5mm jack, commands are interpreted by a MT8870DE DTMF decoder module.While this control method carries some risks — as with many IoT-like devices — [Kumar] has circumvented one of DTMF’s vulnerabilities by adding a PIN before the security car will accept any commands.

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