The main surprise of CES 2010 was AR.Drone of the French company Parrot. The AR.Drone is a helicopter with four propellers (quadricopter), providing excellent flight stability, with an integrated autopilot. It is controlled using the iPhone and the appropriate software.
Parrot has created AR.Drone for both indoor and outdoor use. The helicopter itself has the protection of screws in the form of round bumpers, which reduce the likelihood of damage to the screws during internal use.
Inside AR.Drone are all those sensors, radio devices and cameras, as in any modern smartphone, only they all work together, ensuring the flight of the helicopter. Two cameras provide control of the helicopter, one pointing forward and the other down. The second camera controls the altitude and speed of flight. It does it so well that even if you try to break the flight stability with your hand, it will not be for long, the helicopter will return to a predetermined height as soon as it is released.
Data transfer to an iOS device is performed via Wi-Fi connection. AR.Drone creates its own Wi-Fi network to which your iOS devices connect.
Any iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad using free software are transformed into touch controllers. Piloting AR.Drone is a combination of taps on the screen and phone movements. In addition to other controls, there are two buttons - auto-landing and emergency. First, it is clear what he is doing: he lands the helicopter and turns off the screws, at the same time, the second immediately cuts down the power of the toy.
The biggest disappointment, like most remote control devices, is the battery life. Parrot estimates that AR.Drone will fly for about 12 minutes at full power. Batteries take 90 minutes to recharge. Unfortunately, the package includes only one set of batteries, for each additional you need to pay $ 30. At a price of $ 300 for a toy, 10% of the cost for an extra set of batteries is not so little.
The letters AR in the title denote “augmented reality” - augmented reality. This is an interesting trend, photo or video supplemented by content from a computer through software. In this case, the real video transmitted from a helicopter is complemented by gaming moments: shooting from a machine gun and launching rockets.
The overall impression is an interesting, but expensive toy. The idea of augmented reality is going to evolve, so be on the lookout and stay tuned.
Source: SlashGear and Parrot
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