Can Android phone can be used instead of( or with) Arduino as controller?

Question

I am Android application developer and I want to modify regular toy RC car which can be controlled by Android phone. I want to use 2 Android phones: 1 as remote controller, 1 as controller in RC car. I want to use sensors like GPS, Mobile network, Wifi in RC car in RC car side. I want to know: can I use Android phone as controller in RC car. I am thinking about 2 options:

1. phone as controller (without arduino) - this option would be the best
2. if phone cannot give commands maybe with arduino, while using phone's sensors like gps, mobile network, wifi, bluetooth

Is this possible? If yes, what tools I should use to connect?

• Majenko: In what way were you hoping to physically connect the phone to the sensors and control circuitry?

Answer 1

You cannot directly control your RC car using and Android phone if you are talking about a normal RC car. If you have an RC car that can be already connected via bluetooth this is another story.

So for normal RC car you would need to have:

AndroidPhone -> Network -> AndroidPhone -> SerialInterface -> Arduino -> RC