Parrot’s AR (Augmented Reality) Drone is one of the gadgets that we have had the most fun with so far. Everybody loves a great gadget, but it’s not often that you can control a moving gadget through your iPhone or Android-powered device.
The AR Drone is essentially a quadcopter, that’s a helicopter with four rotors. The rather bulky design makes it a bit of monster when first unboxed, and users will instantly be taken by surprise when witnessing its size.
With the use of the AR Drone app that can be found on the Android market or iPhone App store, users will get to fly the drone through the skies like a pro. The drone comes with a built-in Wi-Fi connection, so the app allows the phone to connect to the drone wirelessly.
It has a bit of a limited range, but that can be a good thing, as a rogue drone is never a good thing. By accessing the app, users will be able to see what the drone sees, in the sense that it streams a live video feed to the phone’s screen by ways of the built-in camera situated on the front of the drone.
On the app’s screen, users will also find all the controls to fly the drone. While it has touch keys for take-off and landing, the drone can also be pitched and rotated using the accelerometer in the chosen device.
The drone flies at a rather impressive speed, and user will have to be careful not to move the controls or the phone too quickly, as it can cause the drone to go off course, and bringing it back to a stable position can be a rather tricky exercise.
It also makes a loud noise when taking off, and a lot of down force can be felt. It’s just further testament to the genius behind the concept, but the noise might be intimidating to any animals nearby.
Speaking of animals, the drone comes with two hulls – one for outdoor flying and one for navigating indoors. While flying indoors, it advisable to put cats in a separate room, as they won’t take kindly to a strange, noisy object hovering over their heads.
The hulls are sturdily built, so a crash shouldn’t cause too much damage, but users should still be careful when flying around.
However, the drone’s app does come with a couple of safety measures, and features a kill switch for when things get a little heated. The switch will automatically stop all the rotors and safely land the drone, while the landing button will drop the drone onto a specific spot with all the easy in the world.
The setting also allow for a height restriction, which is a good thing, as a drone flying at 50 meters above ground can never end well. One thing that users should take note of before flying, is that the slightest breeze will take the drone and run with it. It’s advisable to only fly the drone in perfect weather or indoors – for everybody’s safety.
It might seem like a lot of things to remember, but the AR Drone is truly a fun and unique gadget to play around with. It’s difficult to fly through the phone’s screen, but keeping an eye on it should make things easier.
When all is said and done, it still remains a toy – albeit very expensive – but it’s a lot of fun.
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor
