It’s a pretty nifty little gadget, and it plugs into the AR.Drone 2.0 copter at the top via USB, and is strapped in with a simple velcro strap. It has 4GB of storage, which doesn’t seem like a lot at all, and we’re thinking that the company could’ve definitely stuffed in more silicon to boost up the storage limit.

In any case, there are some cool features that users can take advantage of, including Director Mode, which lets users “program pre-registered and automatic movements”, like traveling, pan movements, and crane. This is to ensure that users shoot exactly the video they want, and allows for full control, just like a movie director.

The GPS dongle also comes with an extra battery, which allows for 18 minutes of extra flight time. The iPad app, in particular, offers stabilization features and post-processing capabilities to allow complete editing control and provide your friends and family with the best possible viewing from the sky.

Playsoft Games has already released its own piloting app for Samsung and Nokia phones. This was done with the Parrot’s software development kit. All the piloting apps are free to download, regardless of platform. For now, the games have only been announced for the iOS devices.

Two games are available now, with a third untitled game being developed. AR. Flying Ace is available now in the App Store for free, while the other free title, AR. Race is being launched today. For the true Drone enthusiast, there are also physical obstacles available for purchase that can actually be recognized by the Drone. A set of pylons and a finish line retail for $59.99, and a donut retails for $49.99. The accessories will also be available in July.

The third game being developed is aimed at consumers that might not know anyone that has their own Drone. It is said to be a two player game where both players control the same helicopter. Not many details yet, but Parrot said the opponent might not be what you expect.

[via AR. Drone]

The app sells for $5.99 and you get a lot of cool new features along with it other than just controlling the flying machine. The app allows you to record video, capture images, and track objects from within the app. The app also controls autonomous flight and allows you to execute pre-programmed Drone animations and control the lights on the toy as well. The app will work on both the iPhone and the iPad.

Other features include the ability to save the settings for your Drone inside the app so if you reset you don’t have to enter settings again. The app allows iPad 2 users to mirror the screen to their TV. The app allows for control options you don’t get by default with reversed for left hand users, elevation control inversion and the ability to stalk a target with yaw and elevation or yaw, elevation, and pitch. The video is recorded in H.264 encoded QuickTime and can overlay flight data including altitude.

[via iTunes]

Parrot has named the official distributor of the AR.Drone for the US and Canada and that distributor is Horizon Hobby. With an official distributor named that means you will be able to walk into your local Horizon Hobby location and take one home with you.

If you have somehow missed the AR.Drone with all we have talked about the thing, it’s really cool. It comes with the AR.Drone flying device, and external hull, battery, charger, stickers, and a quick start guide. The app to control the toy is on the App Store for free and the camera on the AR.Drone will send video of what it sees back to the Apple device.

If you’re unfamiliar with the AR.Drone experience, take a look at our Hands-on post and come on back after you’re done. Then take a look at this game. There are two roles: “pursuer” and “pursued.” The pursuer is equipped with both an automatic machine gun and missiles, the machine gun firing whenever the frontal camera detects the pursued AR.Drone, while the missiles are fired by shaking your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad. Once you hit your opponent, you switch roles, they now act as the pursuer and you the pursued.

Once your iDevice is connected to your AR.Drone, one player just has to select “create” and the color of their opponent’s color and type of hull. The second player selects “join,” the components of the first person’s flier, and the game is on! What you view through your iDevice is a view of your AD.Drone is seeing. Each game lasts between 1 and 9 minutes, roles are defined randomly at the beginning of the game, and the app will cost $2.99. Cheep! Check out the full press release below, and check out the fun preview video!

AR.Pursuit: The first game in Augmented Reality especially developed for the AR.Drone

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 18, 2010 — Parrot, a global leader in wireless devices for mobile phones, announces the availability of AR.Pursuit, a game in augmented reality that takes advantage of the exceptional technical and flight capabilities of the Parrot AR.Drone.

Available end of November in the Apple App Store, AR.Pursuit enables players to measure and challenge their piloting skills.

The rules of the game

AR.Pursuit is a two-player pursuit game, where a player has to escape from the other one, as in the game of cat and mouse.

The “pursuer” has two kinds of virtual weapons to reach its opponent:

- Automatic machine gun: as soon as the frontal camera detects the pursued AR.Drone, bullets are automatically sent in order to slow it down. When it is hit, the AR.Drone will physically ‘react’ to the attack and the escape maneuvers will be more difficult for the pilot.

- Missiles: when the opponent is locked on the screen, the pilot of the pursuer AR.Drone has to shake his/her iPhone/iPod touch/iPad to send a missile.

When it is hit by a missile, the “pursued” becomes “pursuer” and so on. At half time, the roles are automatically reversed. The winner is the player who has the longest escape time during the entire game.

A technological first

Once the Bluetooth of the iDevice is on, each player connects to his/her AR.Drone in Wi-Fi and launches AR.Pursuit.

One of the players selects the “create” option on the main menu and indicates his/her opponent’s color and type of hull (indoor or outdoor).

The second player selects the “join” option in the main menu and also indicates the characteristics of his/her opponent. Then the game can start.

Each player can see on the screen of his/her iPhone/iPod touch/iPad what the AR.Drone is seeing. Each action, a shoot received or launched, will also be visualized on the screen via the magic of augmented reality.

Note: If the game is played with indoor hulls, players should place the colored stickers (sold with the AR.Drone) on it.

AR.Pursuit is an enthralling game that makes the most of the extreme maneuverability and stability of the AR.Drone, and which dives the players into a world where real and virtual are mingling… A first!

* Game time: 1 to 9 minutes (3 minutes by default)
* The roles of each player are arbitrarily defined at the beginning of the game.
* Game available around Nov. 26 in the App StoreSM
* Price: $2.99

You’ll have the ability to preorder starting today, but you’ll have to make a quick trip to Brookstone’s website to finish the deed. If you’ll recall, the AR.Drone can be piloted by an iPhone, iPod Touch, or even an iPad, and it will rely on augmented reality to fly around the terrain in the real world. Parrot is using open source technology to create the augmented reality “stages,” so that means designers will be able to create their own levels, and you will be able to reap the benefits of their endeavors.

If you’re interested in preordering one, the full cost of the drone is $299, and it will ship your way come September 3rd. Or, if you’d rather just have that instant gratification after you purchase, you can head into a Brookstone brick-and-mortar location beginning October 31st and pick one up. But, if you’re still on the fence, check out our hands-on video below. It will make you want one.

[thanks, Nick]

Parrot tells us there have been plenty of changes since the AR.Drone made its debut at CES back in January 2010. They include hardware tweaks to the quadricopter itself, adjusting the balance and weighting among other things, together with multiple updates to the control software. Currently that’s written for iPhone or iPod touch – and presumably in “doubled” mode on the iPad – but since Parrot have released the AR.Drone API publicly, they’re expecting developers to code up versions for Android and other platforms in short order.

Control is straightforward, with the screen dominated by a view from the AR.Drone’s front-facing camera (updating at 10fps) while the down-facing camera is in a small window in the top left-hand corner; you can flip the two by tapping the PIP. At the top is an “emergency” button which kills the quadricopter, while at the bottom is a take off/landing button; when you hit it initially the AR.Drone takes off and hovers automatically at about chest height. The left thumb control, when tapped, allows you to move the drone via the accelerometer, tilting it to move left, right, forward and back. The right thumb control spins the AR.Drone on its axis – the two red LEDs are always at the back, the green at the front, to help you orient yourself – as well as controlling altitude. Currently there’s no way to record the video footage from either camera on the iPhone, though Parrot say there’s nothing stopping third-party developers from offering a suitable app for that.

Parrot AR.Drone live demo:

In practice, any trouble you experience is generally pilot error rather than the AR.Drone falling short. The autopilot mode, which hovers the quadricopter in mid-air when you let go of any of the controls (or if it flies out of WiFi range), is almost magical in its stability: you can push or even shove the ‘copter and it’ll stay composed. It’s once you start actually flying it yourself, of course, that the crashes begin; reaction times between moving the iPod touch and the AR.Drone responding are almost instantaneous over the ad-hoc WiFi network the quadricopter itself creates, but it’s easy to spin it around and then lose track of which orientation is which. A little practice improves matters, but thankfully the (removable) EPP hull is sturdy and impact resistant – we saw several crashes (of which we were only responsible for a few) and despite taking a battering none of the AR.Drone demo units showed any sign of damage.

Parrot supply two EPP hulls, one with enclosed blades for indoor use and a simpler, more streamlined “shaped” version for outdoor flight. They, together with spare rotors and other parts, will go on sale alongside the quadricopter, just in case you have a more serious accident. Fingers pushed into the blades will kill the motors straight away (though considering the speed they’re rotating you may still end up a bit sore) but Parrot are still suggesting the AR.Drone be limited to pilots of 14 or up.

We were having enough fun in single user mode, but of course Parrot are positioning the AR.Drone as a flying game system. Thanks to various apps which will be available through the Apple App Store, together with tag detection software running on the Drone itself, two people can dogfight with their AR.Drones, watching virtual explosions and tracer trails on the iPhone display. It takes some practice – and the 10fps update speed doesn’t help matters – but it does at least promise some longevity appeal. Parrot reckon over 450 developers have signed up for SDK access, so hopefully we’ll see some results from that hit the App Store shortly after the AR.Drone’s release.

As with any flying toy, battery life is the AR.Drone’s biggest drawback. A fully-charged power pack – one of which is included in the box – will last for roughly twelve to fourteen minutes of use. After that, you’re looking at around 90 minutes of charging before you can have another go. Parrot will be selling separate battery packs alongside the AR.Drone from the get-go, but there’s no word right now on what sort of price they’ll command; the company told us that those figures hadn’t been decided on yet. If they’re affordable enough to pick up a few spares without breaking the bank then that won’t be so bad, but we won’t know that until closer to release.

The Parrot AR.Drone will landing in the UK on August 18th 2010 at HMV stores, priced at £299. Meanwhile it will arrive in the US for $299 from September 2010. More hardware details in the gallery below.

Parrot AR.Drone demo by CEO Henri Seydoux:

Video demos after the cut

The AR.Drone has four sets of blades and two cameras – one front-facing, the footage from which is streamed back to the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad remotely controlling it, and one looking down which is used for auto-pilot – and can be used both indoors and outdoors.  Gameplay – demos of which are below – can be individual or against other AR.Drone owners, with the quadricopter creating its own WiFi b/g ad-hoc network.  Parrot plan to develop remote apps for other platforms over the next few months.  You can see video demos of the AR.Drone in flight here.

On powering up, the AR.Drone’s auto-pilot hovers it to 50cm above the ground and holds it there.  If you take your fingers off the controls, or it loses the WiFi link, the auto-pilot kicks in and holds the quadricopter steady.  Meanwhile, if you get an incoming call, the AR.Drone automatically lands.  There are more technical details here.  Parrot claim more than 450 developers have signed up for their AR.Drone SDK, and are obviously hoping that a fair chunk of that number will choose to produce augmented-reality gaming apps for the platform.

As we said, the AR.Drone will land on US shelves in September, priced at $299; it’ll arrive in Europe and Asia shortly after.  The AR.Free Flight app will be a free download from the App Store, while the AR.Dronegate and AR.FlyingAce apps – demos of which you can see below – will be priced at $2.99 each.  Meanwhile there’s an AR.Drone developers kit available now for $1,200, which includes the “loan” of a prototype unit and access to Parrot’s support services; the prototype will be switched out for a final model when they’re available.

Parrot AR.Drone demo:

AR.Drone video view:

AR.Free Flight:

[youtube hPXXcIG9KB4]

AR.Drone Gate:

[youtube 3Hmcse3Refs]

AR.Flying Ace:

Press Release:

Parrot AR.Drone: Invasion begins…

The first quadricopter for video games and piloted by Wi-Fi will be available in the U.S. in September under $300.

E3, Los Angeles – 15 June, 2010 – Parrot, leader in wireless peripherals for mobile phones, today unveils at E3 Expo in Los Angeles the final version of the Parrot AR.Drone, a quadricopter using augmented reality and piloted with an iPod touch®, an iPhone® or an iPad™.

With super intuitive handling, Parrot AR.Drone achieves spectacular flights and enables consumers to play video games in augmented reality.

You are piloting a one-of-a-kind quadricopter, where real and virtual worlds meet to offer unparalleled gaming experiences…

The front-camera broadcasts and streams what the drone is seeing onto the iPod touch or iPhone screen; and the image processing allows integrating real-time special effects of augmented reality…

Pattern Ergonomic piloting

With its shaped cockpit driven by four propellers with brushless motors, the Parrot AR.Drone offers excellent maneuverability and stability during piloting.

Parrot AR.Drone generates its own Wi-Fi network (no need for an Internet connection nor a router) at which you simply connect an iPod touch or iPhone. Once the “AR.FreeFlight” application has been downloaded, the iPod touch/iPhone turns into a true piloting station.

Two piloting modes are available:
- 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.

Touch the take-off button on the screen of the iPod touch/iPhone and the Parrot AR.Drone starts its engine, takes-off, stabilizes a few feet from the ground and waits for the pilot’s instructions.
The player needs to put his/her left thumb on the screen and a control button will position under it. The accelerometer of the iPod touch/iPhone is detecting movements. Parrot AR.Drone moves forward, back or sidewise depending on the inclinations of the iPod touch/iPhone.
Another command button on the right of the iPod touch/iPhone screen enables the pilot to make the AR.Drone rise, go down or rotate.

In Ace mode, a single button enables the pilot to fully control and pilot the AR.Drone.

Touch the landing button and the quadricopter will land and stop its engines.

A unique high-tech quadricopter

Parrot AR.Drone is made of carbon fiber and high resistance PA66 plastic.

The heart of the AR.Drone contains MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanicals Systems), three axes accelerometer, two gyrometers [one axe & two axes], one ultrasound sensor and two cameras:

· The first camera, located underneath, is connected to an Inertial Measurement Unit. Thanks to this unit, the AR.Drone is capable of measuring its horizontal speed and performing mind-blowing stationary flights. The system of images comparison enables it to compensate turbulences due to the wind during outside flights.
These technologies are usually used for professional or military applications and have been adapted to gaming universe for the first time.

· The second camera, at the front of the quadricopter, broadcasts and streams on the iPod touch/iPhone screen what the drone is seeing as if the player was in the pilot’s position.

This camera plays a major role for video gaming thanks to the use of form recognition: it enables augmented reality.
For example, the front camera will recognize another AR.Drone in the game battle between two quadricopters, or tags which will turn into obstacles, monsters or robots on the screen of the iPod touch/iPhone …

Video streaming has been enhanced compared to the development version of AR.Drone introduced at CES. Also, the front of the hull has been strengthened to better protect the camera.

The players can choose the camera they prefer or display the two cameras simultaneously on the screen of the iPod touch/iPhone.

New rules for games

With the AR.Drone, Parrot is combining the worlds of video gaming and radio-controlled models.
This one-of-a-kind quadricopter enables consumers to recreate a large number of video games in the real world and also offers a multi-player possibility thanks to augmented reality.
To offer pilots unprecedented gaming experiences, three games will be available for download in the 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.
A new look for inside and outside flights

Parrot AR.Drone is designed for flying inside and outside.

For a flight outside, a shaped hull reduces the area to the wind and offers an extreme maneuverability of the quadricopter.
Three hulls are available:
- orange and yellow
- orange and green
- orange and blue

These vivid colors enable the pilot to easily follow the movements of his/her AR.Drone. They are also easily recognized by the front-camera of the AR.Drone, which enables the AR.Drone to identify a competitor for two-player battles.

For indoor flight, a specific hull –with a white, gray and black cockpit- surrounds and protects the propellers if the AR.Drone hits an obstacle. Stickers, with colors similar to the shaped hull, can be fixed on each arch to enable drone battles inside.

Finally, electroluminescent diodes (green at front, red on the back), are positioned on the landing gear and enable the pilot to easily position his/her AR.Drone for piloting. These diodes also activate and react according to the action from the game.

A community of pilots

Available via www.ardrone.com, AR.Drone-Pilot Academy will be a website dedicated to Parrot AR.Drone users and fans.
This website will showcase approximately 20 videos and detailed information on the AR.Drone.
· Training Zone
This area of the website accompanies the pilot, from the first encounter of the AR.Drone to tips for piloting.
How to prepare your AR.Drone (installation of the battery, configuration Wi-Fi / iPod touch – iPhone…), pilot (control of the accelerometer…), do sophisticated maneuvers (circles, figure-eight, half-turn, slalom, obstacles race…), practice aerial battle (offensive and defensive maneuvers, indoor and outdoor battles…).
· Community Zone
Here pilots will be able to post their videos, share and discuss on forums, follow AR.Drone news (via Facebook, Twitter…).

An open development platform

Since the introduction at CES 2010, the Software Development Kit, which was updated in May 2010, is available for developers to create games for the AR.Drone. Source code porting on other platforms is also feasible from the SDK.
To date, more than 450 developers around the world have registered on Parrot AR.Drone platform.
The only bounds of the forthcoming games for the AR.Drone are the imagination and ingenuity of the fans of Parrot’s quadricopter.
To download the SDK or get more information, visit http://projects.ardrone.org.
Parrot AR.Drone: a technological first

The development of the AR.Drone required more than four years and the creation of about 20 patents.
For the first time, a consumer product encompasses:
· A quadricopter made of carbon fiber and high resistance PA66 plastic, with 4 brushless engines embedded;
· An inertial unit with MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) combining video processing with an automatic piloting software to ensure a very intuitive piloting of a radio controlled object;
· Wi-Fi and video streaming for a modern gaming interface with an iPod touch/iPhone;
· Images processing software for augmented reality.

Parrot has worked for 15 years on wireless technologies. Engineering is the keystone of the work of Parrot and the R&D department of the company consists of 150 engineers.
Parrot concentrates on the maintenance of its investments in R&D to a high level, with an important focus on the software and the signal processing. Parrot develops complete products in taking care of their use; because of this, software, electronics, design and also manufacturing costs are the daily work of the research department.

Parrot AR.Drone Invasion Plan

Parrot AR.Drone will be available for purchase at selected retailers* in September in the United States for $299 MSRP.

Availability in Europe and Asia will be announced in the following weeks.

Of course, since the AR.Drone was first demonstrated the Apple ecosystem has grown to include the iPad and so, while the thought of an iPhone/iPod touch remote is all well and good, we’re even more excited about the potential for iPad remote control.  Let’s hope Parrot’s engineering teams are busy beavering away at just such a system in advance of E3 2010.

Video demo after the cut

The AR.Drone is controlled via a WiFi link to an iPhone or iPod touch, but it also has some particularly complex onboard intelligence.  Two cameras – one looking at the ground and one looking forward – are used to not only beam real-time footage back to the user, but also for the autopilot system.  When you’ve got just one unit that’s used for object avoidance and stability, but when you’ve got two it makes dogfights more challenging.

Still, if you’ve only got one that doesn’t mean you can’t stage battles; the Parrot software can create virtual enemies shown on-screen to battle against.  Parrot still aren’t saying anything specific regarding availability – only “later in 2010″ – or pricing, but we’re not expecting the AR.Drone to be especially cheap.

Unfortunately the WiFi-soaked show floor meant that Parrot’s iPhone remote control wasn’t playing ball; instead they were demonstrating the arguably more impressive (in a technical sense) auto-pilot systems. The AR.Drone navigates using two cameras – one on the nose and one facing downward – together with accelerometers and other sensors (more details in our initial post from this morning). Parrot include several brightly-colored objects which the AR.Drone can use to navigate, responding to their position so as to maintain safely in the air.

It’s a far more effective system than, say, WowWee’s Bladestar R/C ‘copters, which use a more rudimentary IR system to hover and avoid obstacles. Of course, Parrot’s AR.Drone is likely to be a whole lot more expensive than the Bladestar; the company is staying quiet on exact figures, only saying that the flying gadget will arrive sometime in 2010.

It’ll come with access to an SDK with which developers will be able to create their own applications – including in-air battle games – for the AR.Drone. That also means Parrot can sit back and wait for others to come up with alternative methods of remote control; as it stands, if you haven’t already got an iPod touch or iPhone then factor in buying one of those as well, since there isn’t a “native” controller in the box.

It all seems reasonably rugged, with a foam chassis that protects the blades when you experience the inevitable crash-landing, and we’re assuming that direct control with the iPhone’s accelerometer (which will also see birds-eye footage from the front-facing camera beamed back to the smartphone’s display) will be similarly responsive as the auto-pilot mode. We’ll save wholehearted appreciation until we’ve heard exact pricing, but right now we reckon this is one gadget a whole lot of geeks young and old might be putting on their 2010 holiday gift list.

Multiple video demos after the cut

For instance, while the AR.Drone can be enjoyed as a standalone R/C toy, piloting it by tilting the iPod touch or iPhone as well as controlling altitude and other factors by on-screen buttons, Parrot will release with it an AR game allowing for remote in-air battles.  Two AR.Drone owners will be able to battle in the same virtual airspace, with each opponent seen on the iPod touch’s display.  That way, gamers can compete even if they’re in different countries, and then share footage recorded through the quadricopter’s camera on a dedicated Parrot site.

Parrot claim to have used military-spec technologies – such as wind compensation – in the AR.Drone, making it perhaps one of the most complex R/C models we’ve seen to date.  No word on pricing (we’re thinking it won’t be cheap) but the Parrot AR.Drone will be available to consumers sometime in 2010, as well as part of a developers’ pack.

Parrot AR.Drone flight demo:

Parrot AR.Drone prototype flying test:

Augmented Reality video games demo:

Parrot AR.Drone optical recognition demo:

Parrot AR.Drone front-camera object recognition:

Press Release:

The Parrot AR.Drone project:
When video games become reality…

Parrot AR.Drone, the first quadricopter using augmented reality and piloted by Wi-Fi.

Parrot, leader in wireless products for mobile phones, is unveiling the first quadricopter using augmented reality: Parrot AR.Drone.
With intuitive mobility and universal use, Parrot AR.Drone is piloted initially with an iPhone™ or iPod touch® and allows you to take a spectacular flying journey. In addition, this unique quadricopter can be part of a large number of video games in the real world.
Streaming video on the iPhone™ or iPod touch® screen enables you to pilot the AR.Drone as if you were sitting in the pilot’s seat; the image processing allows for the integration of real-time special effects of augmented reality…
‘Parrot AR.Drone’ project
The idea of the Parrot AR.Drone project is to create a working quadricopter with the best of today’s technologies, exploring new places through mixing video games and the real world. This is augmented reality.

Parrot AR.Drone: create dreams
“At Parrot, we have been developing wireless concepts for video games for 4 years. Our first project was a Bluetooth race car. We developed it, but I was not satisfied. A video game should contain part of a dream that I missed with the Bluetooth car,” explains Henri Seydoux, founder and CEO of Parrot. “It should fly! So I started with the idea of a quadricopter. With video cameras and a powerful computer, we have developed a very stable drone that is easy to control and flies like a dragon-fly.”
Parrot AR.Drone is the outcome of a dream: to invent a high-tech drone for kids and adults, whilst developing a new concept of video gaming using augmented reality. It is initially designed for iPhone™ and iPod touch®.

Parrot AR.Drone: a cutting-edge video quadricopter
Parrot AR.Drone is composed of a central cockpit which is surrounded by 4 propellers, each being driven by an engine. It offers amazing possibilities for piloting, excellent maneuverability and extraordinary stability.

The heart of AR.Drone contains all electronic components and two cameras:

· The first camera, under the structure, is connected to an Inertial Measurement Unit. Thanks to this unit, the AR.Drone is capable of measuring its speed and performing mind-blowing flights. PSP (Parrot Smart Piloting) technology also compensates for wind during outside flights. These technologies are usually used for professional and military applications, but have been adapted for the gaming universe for the first time.

· The second camera, at the front of the quadricopter, broadcasts and streams on the iPhone™ or iPod touch® screen, what the drone is seeing as if the player was in the pilot’s position. It plays a major role for video gaming, thanks to the use of augmented reality.

Parrot AR.Drone: intuitive piloting
The Parrot AR.Drone generates its own Wi-Fi network so you simply need to connect an iPhone™ or iPod touch® to turn it into a true piloting station.
An unseen mix of captors (wide angle camera and high speed camera, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanicals Systems), 3 axes accelerometer, 3 axes gyro, ultrasound sensor) associated with a powerful computer makes the piloting easy and accessible even for the youngest or non-technologically savvy person.
Thanks to the accelerometer of the iPhone™ or iPod touch® that detects users’ movements, the AR.Drone is very easy to pilot by leaning the iPhone™ forward to move forward or sidewise to corner and change direction.
On the touch pad of the iPhone™, command buttons also indicate some actions such as rise, down, rotate, move back, move forward… Observing the AR.Drone obey each movement of their hands is an incredible experience for the player.

Parrot AR.Drone: imagination has no limits
Parrot AR.Drone is designed for flying inside and outside.
For flying inside, a hull surrounds the propellers and protects the quadricopter if it hits an obstacle. For outside flights, a shaped hull reduces the area to the wind for better maneuverability of the quadricopter.
Every flight with the AR.Drone will always be a new experience. Outside, the user will have to take into account the changing elements of the real environment, such as the wind, the sunshine, shadowed areas or any obstacles that appear.
Parrot AR.Drone is also offering an unprecedented multi-player possibility.
Thanks to augmented reality, it is possible to recreate an aerial fight between two quadricopters. The worlds of video gaming and radio controlled models collaborate for the first time, simultaneously evolving in both universes.

Parrot AR.Drone: an open development platform
Parrot intends to extend the possibilities of AR.Drone so the project is a development platform opened to game developers.
A Software Development Kit (SDK) is available today for the developers who want to create games for the AR.Drone by using the techniques of augmented reality enabled by the frontal camera. Developers just need to register on www.ardrone.org to download the SDK and contribute to the AR.Drone Open API platform.
Development kits, including a prototype of the drone, available soon, will be subject to acceptance of development projects by Parrot.
With AR.Drone, all kind of games can be created: shooting, adventure, races, arcade…

Parrot AR.Drone: a technological first
For the first time, a consumer product encompasses:
A quadricopter made in carbon fiber and high resistance PA66 plastic
MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) and video processing to ensure extremely intuitive piloting of a radio controlled object
Wi-Fi and video streaming to enable interfacing with an iPhone™ or iPod touch®
Images processing software for augmented reality

Parrot has worked for 15 years on wireless technologies. Engineering is the keystone of the work of Parrot and the R&D department of the company consists of 150 engineers.
Parrot maintains its investments in R&D to the highest level, with an important focus on the software and signal processing. Parrot develops complete products from the initial stage; software, electronics, design and also manufacturing are the daily work of the research department.

Note:
Parrot AR.Drone is today open to video games developers.
The quadricopter should be available for consumer in 2010.
A dedicated website will also enable owners of AR.Drone to be part of the AR.Drone community and to share their videos…