Introduction: Ipod Touch Spy Car

About: I love making things and simple electronics!
With the Ipod Touch Spy Car, you can spy on anyone or record footage of an unknown area with your very own ipod touch!  Next time you need to find out what is going on in the basement when you are upstairs, just facetime your ipod touch, put it on the spy car, and drive while seeing what the ipod is "seeing". 

This project is easy to build, and costs about $100.  I already had the materials on hand, so it was free for me.  No soldering is needed in this project, so it is great to do with children.

I was inspired to make this project when I saw my friend with a brookstone rover for his ipad.  It works the same way as this, but I didn't have to pay a penny for mine!  Also, I wanted a way to be entertained this summer, and it seems as if I have found the perfect solution.

There is one video included, it is of the view from the spy car.

I hope you enjoy building your ipod touch spy car!



Created by the Think, Plan Create Clan as a part of our instructables sponsorship guide.

Step 1: Materials

You will need.....

* Thames and Kosmos Remote Control Machines kit  (The specific parts are in the picture above)
* A morphibian rc car (with remote)
* An ipod touch
* A rubber band

Tools

* A hot glue gun (with glue)
* A small phillips head screwdriver

Step 2: Preparing the Morphibian

To prepare the Morphibian to be outfitted with its spy gear, you must remove the top part of the car revealing a white cover over the battery pack.  Do not Remove the white cover becaue the ipod touch holder/ turner is going to be glued onto this.  This project can probably be done without removing the top cover, but it would be unstable and much taller.

Step 3: Building the Ipod Holder/Turner

This is probably the hardest part of the whole spy car.  This part basically rotates the ipod so you can get a 360° view of an area.  The parts you need from your Remote Control machines kit are pictured in the Materials.  Each picture above is a different step, so picture 1 would refer to the first image, picture 2 would refer to the second image and so on.

Picture 1:  Build this with the smaller of the two black poles and the gear turner.  This is the part of the machine that will turn a gear and in effect, turn your ipod.

Picture 2:  Link together two square shaped pieces and place the gear turner you made in picture one in the middle of the square on the right.

Picture 3:  Add a motor so the pole turner on the motor attatches to the black pole.  Also, take the large black pole and slide a red gear down it.  Put the bottom of the pole into the hole in front of the gear turner and make sure the gear and its turner are touching.

Picture 4: Put two small poles onto the corners of the left block to hold up the structure we are about to put on.

Picture 5: Add a "roof" to your structure by again using two square pieces linked together

Picture 6: Place the big orange gear onto the black pole and build a small square for your ipod to lean against while driving.

Picture 7: Add the battery pack onto the left side and plug the motor in.  Test if it works.

Step 4: Assembling the Car

This is the last step of building your remote control spy car.  You need to place the Ipod holder/ Turner that you just built onto the white cover over the battery pack and hot glue it in place.  Make sure that you take into account the weight of the ipod so when you hot glue it, put more of the weight on the battery pack side.  Put alot of glue to ensure that this part won't fall off.  Test out your car now.  Make sure it is still maneuverable, and your spy career can now begin!

Step 5: Enjoy!

To use your spy car, have one ipod facetime the other one, and rubberband one of them into the spy car.  Drive around and you will be able to see where you are going by using the ipod.  I hope you enjoyed building your Ipod Touch Spy Car, and please vote for me in the remote control challenge!  Enjoy!

-Doctordv

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