Parrot's AR.Drone 2.0 may well be the
ultimate geek toy - a Wi-Fi-equipped, smartphone-controlled quadrocopter, with
cameras that stream live video to your iOS or Android device's screen. The
updated version even does acrobatics. You're totally going to flip...
Price: $565
Website: www.ebay.com
Parrot
AR.Drone 2.0
The 720p front camera trumps the original
Drone's VGA offering, but 'HD’ doesn’t always translate to cinematic footage.
Our test video was low on detail and slows to adjust to light changes, but
still often spectacular thanks to the bird’s-eye view. An onboard USB port lets
you record straight to a thumb drive.
Flying the Drone in first person view (FPV)
takes some practice. The front-mounted camera has a 92° diagonal field of view,
but it could helpfully be wider. It’s easy to be blissfully unaware of an
obstacle to the side ready to take down your chopper - especially indoors where
your mum’s priceless china becomes a potential hazard.
Various control options are available,
including accelerometer-based tilt control, though we favored the onscreen
joystick option. Switches and sliders in the virtual cockpit enable you to
adjust how the AR.Drone can fly, how fast it can maneuverer and even switch
between indoor and outdoor modes. A new pressure sensor helps it stay airborne.
The basic Autopilot allows the Drone to
hover above the ground, but although further autopilot modes specifically meant
for video recording are promised on the packaging and advertising, they’re
nowhere to be found on the FreeFlight 2.0 app - naughty Parrot. That said, an
update, with full autopilot, is promised for later this year.
Disposable coffee cups wouldn’t be our
first choice of gadget material, but the Drone’s polystyrene body is just the
ticket - both lightweight and resilient. Of the two hulls, the outdoor version
(left) is better for speed, while the indoor one (above) protects the Drone’s
propellers from getting too smashed up when you hit your mum’s china. Again.
Pilot's manual
Flipping out
Flipping
out
Of all the 2.0’s new features, its
acrobatic skills are the most eye-catching: it can now do impressive aerial
flips on demand. And, given that the command for a flip is a simple double-tap
of the screen, even total beginners can get in on the action, Who needs the Red
Arrows, anyway?
Absolute control
Absolute
control
Remote-control flying usually requires you
to put yourself in the virtual pilot’s seat, but in the new Absolute mode the
Drone moves relative to you, no matter which way it’s pointing - tilt your
phone away from you and it flies away; tilt it towards you and it flies back.
It’s a handy, intuitive control scheme that’s great for novices.
Get real(er)
Get
real(er)
Not only will the AR.Drone 2.0 blow your
mind, it’ll also augment your reality (hence 'AR’). Combine apps with targets,
stickers or other Drones, and you’ll be able to race, chase and dogfight around
the living room through your smartphone. You may find yourself limited to the
single-player games if you can’t convince a mate to get one too.
Video recording: 720p@30Fps (Front); QVGA@60Fps (bottom)
Motors: 14.5W/28,500
RPM brushless
Battery: 1,000
mAH LiPo
Processor: 32-bit
ARM Cortex A8 @ 1GHz
Gyroscope: 3-axis,
2000°/s precision
Connectivity:
USB2.0; Wi-Fi (b/g/n)
Weight: 380g
(outdoor hull); 420g (indoor hull)
Verdict
·
Ratings: 5/5
·
With HD skills and AR smarts, version two of
this unique tech toy offers even more flying fun
Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Vs Blade mQX Quadcopter
Price: $139.99
Website: www.horizonhobby.com
Blade
mQX Quadcopter
We’ve not reviewed it yet, but while this
tiny quad lacks the video and AR of the Drone, it’s much cheaper - and at just
75g, it could well be more nimble in the air too. It’s totally manually radio
controlled - no smartphone apps here, so if you want to do a flip, you’ll have
to learn to do it the hard way. Feeling really DIY? Pick up the self-assembly
kit and save yourself the cash. Bargain! (Time investment: not included.)
Parrot A.R.Drone 2.0 – The first hour
1. No assembly required and the indoor hull just slots on…
2. … but the battery did take 90mins to charge
10. Let’s fly! It’s great, but our rookie pilot skills aren’t
18. Multiplayer AR stickers included. Who else has one?
22. Recharging time already! Get the spare batteries
24. Wow! It flips! That’s seriously cool
30. USB recording is neat, but not as neat as the flips
42. A bit too windy today. Watch out for that bush…
51. 50m max range – it just hovers until we get closer
59. Time to eat already? Just one more flip, please…
