Hasta La Gadget!

As if anyone besides Apple needed to inflate the hype surrounding the iPad, a digital marketing team jiggered with the tablet to remotely control a homemade 52-inch blimp at an after-party.

To construct the blimp, the BreakfastNY team followed instructions provided by Wired magazine’s Chris Anderson in his blog DIY Drones and added a camera that shot a live feed viewable on the iPad.

For controlling the blimp, the team used Titanium to write the web code and compile it into an iPad app, as well as OpenFramework for the camera software.

“Everyone was really into it,” said Andrew Zolty, a BreakfastNY employee involved in the project. “It kind of brings out the kids in everyone. People would kiss it and do strange things.”

BreakfastNY made the blimp to promote a silent auction for KidRobot Munny characters created by the world’s leading industrial designers. Whenever the blimp’s camera hovered over a person, the iPad software transformed their faces into those of the Munny characters. The feed was displayed on a big screen for all to see. That’s some pretty in-your-face marketing.

See Also:

• Wiimote-Controlled SNES Emulator on iPad
• Video: Neo Keyboard Hooked up to iPad
• IPad Camera Connection Kit Supports External Hard Drives
• Fast Work: In-Car, Dash-Mounted iPad