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Parrot ARDrone

Posted by Scott





I know this falls a little outside the normal scope of this blog but it’s Friday and this was too good to pass up. The Parrot ARDrone is being billed as the “First iPhone-Controlled Quadricopter Drone”. There’s no need to go much further than that for me, but add a camera to the helicopter and camera-view mode to the iPhone and I’m sold. The most amazing part of it all is the craft’s ability to right itself automatically using it’s built-in array of sensors (not to mention the potential for augmented reality applications given the manufacturer’s third-party development scheme) . It’s not out yet — the site says “coming in 2010” — and no word on pricing but I can’t imagine it will be very cheap. I think I’d be willing to splurge on something like this as long as it was cheaper than the iPhone itself. For more info check out this hands-on test of the ARDrone.

While the Quadricopter and it’s iPhone interfacing abilities are pretty incredible, I wish they had made an airplane version (although not sure the WiFi range would be sufficient for that), small R/C helicopters seem like they’re mostly for bothering dogs and tooling around your living room, not really as suited toward outdoor flight as the video suggests. When I worked at BKWLD with Dusty we got a couple of R/C planes and would fly them at lunch in the open spaces of Roseville. I loved those things, I don’t know why but R/C never seems to get old, I think I was about as excited every time I took that thing out as I was the first time I got an R/C car for Christmas. Since I moved to San Francisco I haven’t been using it; I think it’s in a closet somewhere. I bet the batteries are shot but I might get some new ones and take it for a spin at the park this weekend.

Video Link | Parrot ARDrone Site

18 Comments Leave A Comment

3

Christof says:

January 8, 2010 at 1:10 am

I wonder how many RC vehicles there really are out there controlled by the iPhone? I suppose the phrase “the first quadricopter remotely controlled by your iPhone” does sound exceptionally nonpareil.

4

Joaquim Marquès Nielsen says:

January 8, 2010 at 2:25 am

That’s the most amazing gadget-combo I’ve ever seen! I wonder how far you can move from the actual unit, before it disconnects… Also, it would be nice if they worked on noise reduction. I can just image the coolest videos one could cature with this thing! Wow… Just wow…

7

Brian Everett says:

January 8, 2010 at 6:58 am

This thing is awesome! I can’t imagine it will be cheaper than an iPhone though. I’m going to guesstimate it being closer to the $500 – $700 range. Whatever it costs, I want one!

10

Kirk says:

January 8, 2010 at 3:31 pm

Cnet says it’ll be in the ballpark of $500 for a 15 minute flight on a 1 hour charge. Looks awesome but definitely not in the normal “hey I think I’ll buy that” category.

16

BWolf says:

January 12, 2010 at 10:58 am

AMAZING!

RC’s are a must for anyone waiting on renders! I’ve got a whole fleet of cars/trucks, from a 1/36th micro that’ll run almost 50mph to 1/16th that is, well entirely too fast for the studio!

Gonna snatch up one of these!