Parrot, a French drone maker that has spent years in DJI's immense shadow, is one of half a dozen companies selected by the Pentagon to develop prototype aircraft suitable for military surveillance use. The work will take place under a government contract seeking the adaption of small consumer UAVs into drones that can be deployed for scouting missions on the battlefield.
French drone company Parrot has launched a new Anafi quadcopter model, this one featuring a FLIR thermal camera in addition to the 4K HDR offering found on the original model. This new version is a bit lighter than last year's drone, bringing the same folding compact design alongside three batteries for more than an hour of cumulative flight time per charge.
The best drone is the one you have with you, Parrot says, hence its new foldable Anafi drone being so darn compact. Don't confuse small size with a shortage of capabilities, mind. With 4K HDR video recording, some new automatic shooting modes that want to make you the next Alfred Hitchcock, and 25 minutes of flight time, there's plenty to like about the Parrot Anafi beyond its scale.
Parrot's newest drone promises to be its smartest, with the Bebop 2 Power packing longer flight time, easier photo and video capture, and more straightforward flying. Based on the Bebop 2, the new Power version can run for up to 30 minutes on a full charge, Parrot says. With the two batteries included in the box, that means an hour of droning per session.
Easy-to-fly drones are big business these days, and Parrot is looking to get novice pilots off the ground sooner with a pair of "Adventurer" packs. Combining two of Parrot's most popular models - one fixed-wing; one quadcopter - the bundles allow newbie pilots to get a drone's-eye view courtesy of a head-mounted display. Meanwhile, there's also potential for autonomous flight.
Swift Playgrounds, Apple's software developing toolkit intended to encourage kids to learn code, is breaking out of the iPad and connecting with educational toys from LEGO, Parrot, and more. Launched at WWDC 2016 a year ago, Swift Playgrounds took Apple's programming language and wrapped it up in an iPad app that aimed to be equal parts education and entertainment. Now, the fruits of Swift Playgrounds will be able to engage with devices in the real-world.
Back in January, we reported that French drone company Parrot planned to restructure the company and that, as a result, it would be cutting about 290 jobs. Now, nearly half a year later, we're seeing the fruits of that effort: the company is launching a new division that will focus on so-called 'prosumer'-tier drones -- models that appeal to hobbyists and amateurs who want more than a cheap toy but less than a five-figure pro-tier model. The drones produced in this segment will fall into the $1,000 to $5,000 range and will be targeted at various industries.
Parrot plans to restructure its drone division in such a way that will see approximately 290 jobs cut and about 150 positions ‘being made redundant.’ The workforce cuts will affect both international and France-based employees, and will take place as part of a ‘cost reduction phase.’ The company detailed its plan and reasoning behind it in its recently published preliminary financial report.
Parrot has added follow-me features to its Bebop 2 drone, but you’ll have to pay to get them in the FreeFlight Pro app. Using this mode, users can have the drone position itself so that the operator is always in the shot, something that is itself made possible with three different technologies: visual recognition, GPS, and altimeter vertical tracking.
“Ubuntu” and “drones” are probably not two words you’ll come across often, even though both are quite popular in their respective areas. So when Parrot, one of the most famous drone makers, and Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, come out with a special product, it’s hard not to take notice. Painfully spelled as S.L.A.M.dunk, short for “Simultaneous Location and Mapping”, this “drone development kit” piggybacks on a drone, from Parrot preferably, like a Remora fish on shark, giving any drone some autonomous navigation capabilities of its own.
If you're looking to jump into the world of drones but aren't too keen on the hefty up front cost some of them come with, you may want to check out the two new minidrones Parrot has announced. Dubbed the Mambo and the Swing, these two drones offer up some interesting functionality, whether you're looking to do some stunt flying or have some fun.
The Parrot DISCO, a small drone unveiled at CES 2016 with a design at odds with just about every other consumer drone, will be available starting next month for $1,299 USD, the company has announced. Unlike most consumer drones, which sport a few rotors (quadcopters), the Parrot DISCO features a pair of wings similar to what you'd find on a large drone or an ordinary airplane. The drone teases a bunch of fun possibilities, including FPV operation via a headset and drone-mounted camera.