2010-01-07

Parrot's AR-Drone -- A Quadricopter Controlled by an iPhone

clipped from www.sfgate.com

SFGate

Flying Quadricopter Drone Controlled by an iPhone


Buzzing above the heads of marveled, camera-snapping media representatives at CES Tuesday was a weird looking, smooth-flying toy helicopter from Parrot that can be controlled with nothing more than an iPhone or iPod Touch and appropriate software.

The AR.Drone, a four-rotor "quadricopter" which is controlled by Wi-Fi signals, includes wireless cameras that can stream video to a iPhone or IPod Touch, thus allowing you to use your actual surroundings as "targets" in a "augmented reality" (that's what the AR stands for) video game. Want to take out those mean goldfish? You can hover the copter nearby, focus on them with the wireless cameras, target the dangerous beasts and "fire" away.

CES: Control this toy helicopter with your iPhone

Moving the iPhone or iPod Touch, which have built-in accelerometers, directs the toy helicopter forward and backward and turning and other directions. Buttons on the iPhone make it go up or down.

clipped from singularityhub.com
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iPhone's never seen such a bad-ass accessory. Bad-ass-essory?
The AR-Drone is amazingly similar to the military drone controlled by an iPhone at MIT. The MIT drone has slightly better programming (it can run patrols or surveillance sweeps) but otherwise the two seem nearly identical.

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clipped from ardrone.parrot.com
clipped from www.slashgear.com

Parrot AR.Drone WiFi helicopter gets augmented reality iPhone control

Parrot AR.Drone  540x256
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Parrot AR.Drone : Flight Demo

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Parrot AR.Drone : Augmented Reality Video Games Demo

clipped from www.engadget.com
ENGADGED AT CES 2010

Parrot's AR.Drone seeks us out, destroys us as we go hands-on

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Sources:
  1. Flying Quadricopter Drone Controlled by an iPhone
  2. CES: Control this toy helicopter with your iPhone - USATODAY.com
  3. iPhone Helicopter from Parrot is Amazing (Video) | Singularity Hub
  4. Parrot AR.Drone - Quadrotor helicopter with wifi and 2 cameras - AR.Drone games for iPhone and iPod touch
  5. Parrot AR.Drone WiFi helicopter gets augmented reality iPhone control - SlashGear
  6. YouTube - Parrot AR.Drone : Flight Demo
  7. YouTube - Parrot AR.Drone : Augmented Reality Video Games Demo
  8. Parrot's AR.Drone seeks us out, destroys us as we go hands-on -- Engadget
Related:
  1. Parrot's AR.Drone helicopter brings military-style amusement to the iPhone -- Engadget
  2. Parrot AR.Drone hands-on at CES 2010 - SlashGear