February 25, 2015

Add remote-control to your car's HVAC with Arduino

Nobody likes getting into a hot car on a summer day, or a cold one in winter - so slowly car manufacturers are adding remote control systems via WiFi and smartphones to enable such levels of control (for example the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV). However if you're not up for a new car but would like a similar facility - you can do so with an Arduino

This has been demosntrated by Arduino forum member MuttDriver who successfully hacked into the HVAC (Heat Ventilation Air Conditioning) controls to enable them to be controlled by an Arduino. By adding a GSM shield, the Arduino can be controlled via SMS and thus the heater. Furthermore they've also added a temperature/humidity sensor, car voltmeter and more so this data can be retrieved remotely. The Arduino and other circuitry was fitted to a spare DIN socket in the dashboard, for example:

 

More functions could also be added, such as GPS tracking or a remote-lockout or shutdown device. Either way, visit the Arduino forum post for more details and discussion. And for more, we're on facebookGoogle+, and twitter - so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If you need to add external hardware or devices to your next Arduino project, you'll need a protoshield to mount the external circuitry. In doing so, consider our range of ProtoShields. From the tiny LeoStick to the Mega we have a wide range to suit your application.

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