How to Hack a Wireless Xbox Controller to Make an Autonomous Robot!

Introduction:
This project came about when trying to make a low cost autonomous robot for use in
education. The idea being that students would be able to identify with the Xbox controller
and enjoy hacking it into something far more interesting!
One day I was playing with an Xbox controller whilst programming it in the FlowStone free programming language when it came to me, this thing is actually a robot locked inside a plastic case. So I made it my mission to set it free and give it a new life as an autonomous robot.
The wireless Xbox controller and wireless USB receiver make it ideal to make a lightweight wireless robot with the brains still being inside a laptop or PC and using the wireless telemetry to control it on the ground. This means that you can easily develop the software, even whilst it’s running around the room.
Several schools have taken over this project and it has even been published in Robot Magazine!

http://www.dsprobotics.com/Files/FlowStone_Workshop4_XbugBot.pdf