Parrot announces final version of AR.Drone with availability in Sept
It’s been months since we’ve last seen the Parrot AR.Drone but today, the company announced at E3 the final version of the “quadricopter” which promises to deliver what Parrot calls an “augmented reality” experience.
Users take control of the AR.Drone using their choice of either an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad (which connects to the drone using Wi-Fi) and then play video games in an environment that’s essentially a mash-up of the real world and virtual world. The built-in front camera streams video to the user and shows him/her what the drone is seeing and then image processing integrates real-time special effects resulting in “augmented reality”. Although we don’t have a snapshot of what this looks like, think of a real-world scene with virtual objects littered about and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about. Depending on the game, you’ll interact with these virtual objects as you pilot the AR.Drone about.
Flight is made possible thanks to four propellers with brushless motors while the drone itself is made of carbon fiber and high resistance PA66 plastic. The drone features MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanicals Systems), a three axes accelerometer, two gyrometers [one axe & two axes], one ultrasound sensor and two cameras (one camera is aids in flight while the other camera shows the user what the drone is seeing).
There are two flight modes for the AR.Drone:
- Beginner: two tactile piloting buttons to control the accelerometer / the direction of the drone and to maneuver.
- Ace: expert mode with a single tactile button to pilot the AR.Drone.
The AR.Drone is usable both indoors and out. For outdoor flight, a shaped hull reduces the area to the wind and offers “extreme maneuverability” while for indoor flight, the drone uses a specific hull designed to surround and protect the propellers of the drone should it hit any objects inside.
Parrot will offer three games for download at the Apple App Store:
- AR.FreeFlight
- Application that is mandatory to fly and pilot the AR.Drone.
- Two piloting modes: beginner or expert.
- Downloadable for free on App Store.
- AR.Dronegate
- Solo game using augmented reality.
- Requires the two tags provided in the box.
- Story: After the successful downloading of photons, scientists try the same experience with matter. The first try is a catastrophe, a number of scientists disappear and a black hole forms accidentally. This is the “Grey Zone”. Military-researchers create a radio-commanded device able to bear the extreme conditions of the Grey Zone. But since, unexplained attacks occur on the facilities.
- Mission: Protect your military base and destroy “enemies”.
- $2.99 USD on App Store.
- AR.FlyingAce
- Story: For the first time, you will be able to use a radio-commanded quadricopter to conduct aerial battles of World War II aces proportions.
- $2.99 USD on App Store.
The AR.Drone will be available in three hulls: Orange/Yellow, Orange/Green, and Orange/Blue.
Owners and fans of the AR.Drone will have their own community site over at www.ardrone.com. If you’re a developer you can even create your own games for the AR.Drone thanks to an SDK introduced back at CES 2010 and updated in May 2010.
Sold on the concept? Here’s the price and availability. The AR.Drone will be available in the U.S. starting in September for a price of $299. Dates for Europe and Asia will be announced in the following weeks.
