Computer control of RC helicopter
I am interested in controlling an RC helicopter using a desktop/laptop computer. I see two possible approaches for such a project:
Wire the RF remote to a PC either directly or through some microcontroller.
Install a microcontroller directly on the helicopter and use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee to communicate with the microcontroller.
My end goal is to use motion tracking data from a system of IR cameras piped into a feedback control system to develop algorithms to control flight paths. The motion data will come from a separate system, but what I am looking for here is a 'best practices' approach for physicality wiring (or wirelessly linking) the low-level control of the helicopter to a computer.
What would be the most efficient way to approach this problem?