Design Strategy
To build this project, substantial work will have to be done in order to first understand how the existing servos on the vehicle function. We need to know what kinds of signals to send to them in order to get them to accomplish the desired tasks (e.g. turn right, or accelerate).
Once that has been accomplished (or more like while this is being accomplished), work will have to begin in creating the hardware to support the wireless internet connection and digital camera that will be mounted on the vehicle. Our goal is to require as little bandwidth as possible, so compression of the digital image will be a high priority.
Needless to say, there is also a software aspect to this project. A web page will need to be created that provides controls for the vehicle. These controls should be intuitive and easy to use like the old radio transmitter. The page will also have to decode the image information and present that to the user.
Once these pieces are in place, all parts of the project can be combined and the return communication from the user to the vehicle (steering and throttle data) can be added to the hardware on the car. If time permits, perhaps we can also install lighting or other functions that can be controlled via the internet interface. One could reason that if we could get simple accessories to function, it could also be possible that more complex tools could be controlled (such as robot arms, probes, etc.). Imagine: the bomb squad of the future could be a fleet of robots controlled over the internet!