..:| applei.ph |:..

Group Buy? any takers?

Hmmm... what can be the maximum distance the drone can be controlled?

AR.Drone Quadricopter—Exclusive at Brookstone!
www. brookstone.com

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AR.Drone lets you see what the pilot sees.
With its built-in Wi-Fi system, you can control the AR.Drone using the built-in accelerometer in your iPhone®, iPod touch®, or iPad® device. On-board cameras (one forward facing, one facing down) let you see in realtime what the pilot sees as you complete complex flight maneuvers.

Augmented reality turns the world around you into a video game.
Chase a fighter jet through your house or battle other AR.Drone copters. Powerful processing lets the AR.Drone integrate computer generated images directly into its realtime streaming video to create an augmented reality gaming environment complete with air-to-air missiles, interactive targeting systems, and fiery explosions.

No ordinary RC helicopter, AR.Drone uses military-grade technology for super-stable flight.
This four-rotor quadricopter employs dual ultrasonic altimeters, a three-axis accelerometer, multiple gyroscopes, and an embedded Linux platform to continuously stabilize itself during flight. AR.Drone can even compensate for turbulence caused by wind. In fact, it’s so easy to control, anyone can fly it.

At home indoors or out.
Fly your AR.Drone anywhere you like. The included indoor hull protects the rotors during tight maneuvering around walls and furniture then removes easily to minimize weight and wind resistance during outdoor flights. Copter is made of carbon fiber and high-resistance plastic. Rechargeable LiPo batteries are included.

Limited quantities! Order your AR.Drone from Brookstone today to experience video gaming on a whole new level!

Note: There is a flat shipping fee of $10 for AR.Drone. AR.Drone is excluded from other free shipping promotions or discounts.

Note: we are unable to ship AR.Drone to addresses outside of the United States.

For ages 14 and up. WARNING: Choking hazard due to small parts.

By clicking the “Add to Cart” button, you acknowledge that you have read, understand and accept the terms of the Customer Purchase Agreement (Please click on the "Important Information" button above for the full text.) and the Limited Warranty from Parrot.

iPod/iPhone/iPad not included. iPod, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Count me in for the group buy.
If this uses wifi, the range will be 300ft (without any obstructions)
Maybe next time they will come out with a 3G version. hehe...

Such awesome toy! Price on the pre-order page was $300 though.

However, my eyes were diverted towards the jaw-dropping minimalist home the toy's users were occupying though.

We'll ship to m.o.r.'s house and he'll ship it to us via balikbayan box.

15,000 hmmm pwede ipon mode na he he

SOURCE: www.iclarified.com

TouchArcade has posted on their unboxing and first flight of the iPhone controlled Parrot AR.Drone.

Something that immediately struck me was how awesome the device is at steadying itself, even with the breeze outside. In the video I am actively trying to get it to lose control, by having it bank in to the wind and the onboard flight controller just automatically leveled the quadricopter without any issues at all. Also, it's really cool how low it will fly to the ground, automatically adjusting its height as it goes up or down hills. Buzzing over the grass at about a foot off the ground was a truly impressive display of how accurately the AR.Drone can hold its altitude. While none of these things are really new revelations from our previous hands-ons at conventions, all of those were always indoors in a very small controlled environment with no winds at all. A part of me was expecting everything to fall apart once the AR.Drone got outside of the calm 10×10 Parrot tent on the show floor… But it performed flawlessly.

Take a look at the video below and hit the link for further notes about the device. It can be purchased from Brookstone for $299.99.

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Parrot Creates an Augmented Reality Video Game for AR.Drone [Video]
SOURCE: www.iclarified.com


Parrot has announced AR.Pursuit, an augmented reality video game for the AR.Drone, an iPhone controlled helicopter.

The game will be available on the App Store November 26th. The trailer below was shot on location at the AIR & SPACE MUSEUM of Paris - Le Bourget Airport, France with their kind authorization.

● Every shot in this video is real (no special effects).
● Scenes over AR.Drone cockpit view were shot using a GoPro camera on top of AR.Drone hull.
● Aerial shots were done using a Polecam.
● Cameras: Canon 5D Mark II, Sony Alpha 55, GoPro Hero HD.

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Got a chance to see these babies (boxed) during my Singapore trip at the Challenger store. Unfortunately, no demo unit to play around with. Price: SG$449.00

Cool

planning to get one..

The press release for the upcoming Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, an update to the iPhone controlled quadricopter, has apparently been leaked online a bit early.

The AR.Drone 2.0 is set to be unveiled at CES and will feature a 720p camera, video recording, flight data sharing, new piloting mode, increased stability and brand-new look.

You can read the detailed release below...



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A flying HD camera
While in flight, the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0's front camera transmits real-time what the quadricopter sees onto the pilot's device screen.

For the first time the AR.Drone 2.0 camera, with a 1280x720 resolution, shows a view from the sky in high definition with smooth and unbelievable images.

The pilot enjoys an experience like never before, as if he was on board. For gaming purposes, this camera also can recognize specific shapes and colors to show augmented-reality elements on the smartphone's screen.

Record and share flying experiences
Thanks to the new AR.FreeFlight 2.0 piloting application, players can record their own HD videos and watch them or share them with the AR.Drone community.

Additionally, with the "travelling" feature, the pilot can film HD video sequences like a professional! Simply select the direction of travel (forward, back, sideways) and the duration, and the AR.Drone 2.0 does the rest.

AR.FreeFlight 2.0, a new piloting and sharing platform
In addition to flying the AR.Drone, new application AR.FreeFlight 2.0 – available to download for free from the AppStoreSM and AndroidTM Market – offers players a new interface and several options.

● FreeFlight: Access to the piloting application.
● The pilot can record flights, take HD videos or photos and save them in the piloting device. All the flight data (altitude, speed, duration and place) can be saved, checked by the pilot and shared with the community.
● Guest Space: Access an overview of the AR.Drone 2.0, the best flight videos and practical information.
● Drone Update: Access the AR.Drone 2.0's free software updates.
● AR.Drone Academy: Get geolocation data of the best flight zones, watch other pilots' videos and access their shared flight data.
● AR.Games: Access applications/games available for the AR.Drone.
● Photos/Videos: Directly access your own videos and photos. Watch or upload to YouTube for the community to enjoy.

'Absolute Flight', a revolutionary ultra-intuitive flight mode
After the AR.FreeFlight 2.0 pilot application has been loaded onto an iOS or AndroidTM smartphone or tablet, the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 connects to the device via Wi-Fi. After connection, all the on-board instruments appear on screen with a cockpit view.

Press the take off button briefly and the four brushless motors turn on. The AR.Drone 2.0 takes off.

Flying is very simple. With your thumbs placed on either side of the screen, a control button automatically forms beneath:

● Press and hold the left button and the AR.Drone 2.0 follows the movement of the pilot's device: it moves forward, backwards or sideways when you tilt the tablet forward, towards you or to the left or right.
● Slide your finger over the right button, and the quadricopter rises, descends or rotates right or left.

Thanks to Parrot's patented new 'Absolute Control' mode, the player accesses an even more intuitive piloting system.

With a 3D magnetometer, the AR.Drone 2.0 knows its precise orientation with respect to the smartphone, which becomes the reference point. The pilot no longer needs to care about the orientation of the AR.Drone 2.0's front camera, which will accurately track the smartphone's motion and tilt.

Experienced players will select 'Relative Flight' mode, the conventional flight mode. This disables Parrot AR.Drone 2.0's magnetometer. The pilot manages the quadricopter's orientation with no assistance.

Surprising stability at any altitude
The heart of the AR.Drone 2.0 contains MEMS (microelectromechanical systems).
A 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis magnetometer and a pressure sensor give the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 surprising stability, complete with:

● 2 ultrasound sensors, which analyze flight altitude up to 6 meters. New! A pressure sensor completes the device and provides great vertical stability.
● 4 blades, specially designed for the AR.Drone 2.0, make it possible to carry out smooth flights.
● A second camera, placed beneath the quadricopter and connected to the central inertial unit, measures the craft's speed using an image comparison system.

2 hulls made for both types of flight
The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 has 2 hulls with specially designed contours. Made of PA66 (a material used in designing car bumpers), they are light, highly resistant and protect the quadricopter.

For outdoor flight, the contoured hull, available in three colors (orange/yellow; orange/green; orange/blue), reduces wind resistance and preserves the AR.Drone 2.0's handling and stability.

When indoor, a second hull protects the blades from any impact. The black-and-white cockpit, underlined with a red stripe, reinforces the quadricopter's mysterious, thrilling appearance.

Finally, light-emitting diodes (green in front, red in rear), positioned on the landing gear, help the pilot track the orientation of the AR.Drone 2.0 for easier flying.

An Open Development Platform
In order to expand the use of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 and its compatibility with other operating systems and to develop new flying games and applications, Parrot is providing developers and members of the Apple and AndroidTM communities with a software development kit.

By logging in at projects.ardrone.org and accepting the terms of the license, developers can access the source code used to fly the AR.Drone 2.0. A wiki and a tutorial also are available. A forum is available to discuss new developments and share feedback with Parrot engineers.

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The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and will be available for purchase at selected retailers in Q2-2012 in the United States for $299 MSRP.

Read More [via Engadget]

Source: iClarified