Want to launch a rocket by pressing a button on your iPod touch? With the necessary tools, Steve Dye believes you can use his company's NanoSpark controller with your iPod to do just that.

The controller, which will launch this fall, manages output control for analog and digital signals, said Dye, founder and president of Altoona, Wis.-based Senasys.

The iPod touch would connect to the controller that would be wired to other devices. In the rocket example, a user presses a button on their iPod that send a signal to the controller. Then, an electric charge would be sent through the wires that would eventually ignite the model rocket, Dye said.

Senasys joins a number of regional companies who are developing iPhone or iPod accessories that can enhance the device's function from preventing disease to monitoring temperature. Developers say creating products that use Apple's device is cheaper than building your own product from scratch. More iPhone accessories under development by local companies can be found here.

The NanoSpark controller can be used to work with other sensors, such as monitoring temperature, and can be also used to help with production, Dye said. The product, aimed at commerical and industrial companies, educators and hobbyists, will enable them to develop projects faster and at a lower cost than buying a computer, he added.

NanoSpark will be a brand under Senasys. Dye estimates the controller will sell for under $100.