WiRC Comes To Your Smartphone

You are probably asking yourself, ‘What the hell is WiRC?” Well, it is an amalgamation of a radio controller transceiver and a WiFI webserver. What makes this device from Dension interesting is that it is capable of controlling up to 8 servos in just about any RC device. In addition, you can attach a low power USB camera to stream video and record your RC adventures all controlled by your iPhone (note: an Android version is under development).

Actually, this device can be controlled on just about any iOS device with their control app which enables you to use joypad style controls or the gyroscopic system. Personally, I think the gyroscopic control system is great for ground, surface water like boats and hovercraft devices, but it might not be so immediately great for aerial maneuvering.

In any case, I believe there might be a steep learning curve associated with properly controlling a RC airplane, especially via the gyroscopic controls. It might be interesting for well built auto gyro helicopters with a built in auto landing feature, but that gets very expensive, so the casual hobbyist is probably going to opt for something smaller. Of course, the coolness would wear off pretty quick when you reach the limit of transmitter range. This could be an issue if you loose signal. There is nothing more disappointing to a father son Saturday than your RC toy flying off into the sunset.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at what you can do with this apparatus. I mean, words are great to tell a story but let’s face it, seeing is believing. Here’s a demo video I found on YouTube from Dension, the manufacturer of the device. At this point, given the limitations, I don’t think that many serious RC enthusiasts and racers would opt for this as a replacement for their existing controllers. However, for the casual roll around in the mud hobbyist, it is definitely a fun option. That and little brothers who want to spy on their older sister’s slumber parties.

Image Credit: [Dension]