Integrated with NVIDIA’s upcoming handheld gaming device SHIELD, Parrot’s AR.Drone 2.0 brings on a rather unique set of abilities. Here with the final release iteration of SHIELD, we’ve gotten the opportunity to take the AR.Drone 2.0 out for a spin – again. While we’ve seen this device combo in action before, and even got the opportunity to take a look at it with Google Glass on to boot, here we’re taking a bit of a different approach. We’re taking the time this week to show you our initial impressions of NVIDIA’s SHIELD. While we’ll be giving this device a full review soon, at the moment it’s all about the basics. Fun Fact: Photo above taken with AR.Drone 2.0 built-in camera. The basics in this case include a flight of an AR.You’ll see here how excellent it is to be piloting this Parrot machine with an up-close vision of what the drone sees, straight from the controller that’s controlling it. The video you’re seeing above shows several angles on this flight.

The first main view that covers most of the screen is filmed with a Samsung Galaxy Camera and shows the machine in flight from afar. The second view in the lower-right is a recording taken by the AR.Drone 2.0 itself, straight from its built-in 720p video camera. The third angle is recorded with a Canon EOS Rebel T3i and shows a face-on view of SHIELD. There you’ll see the physical controls being utilized as well as the same video as recorded by the drone (with some ever-so-slight choppiness in its journey from the drone to the Android-based UI). A rather important note to make for those of you wondering what kind of conditions would result in such wild flight action is this: it was really, really windy when this set of videos was recorded. I mean really, super windy.Drone 2.0 is working with its outdoor setup here – that is the basic topper rather than the four-circle indoor setup you see most often out in the wild. It should also be noted that yes, indeed, the end of the video does match up with the moment the drone crashed into the swingset in the distance.

Above: Crash-landing photo evidence captured with AR. With physical controls and both SHIELD and the AR.Drone 2.0’s abilities to connect over relatively long distances with Wi-Fi signals (we’ve yet to be brave enough to fly the machine outside it’s range), this setup appears bound to be a rather high selling point for both parties. It’s not going to be a cheap adventure at just under $300 USD for each device, but the end result is an experience really unlike anything else on the market right this minute. We featured Parrot’s AR.Drone 2.0 in last year’s holiday gift guide. Once our model, Ashley, was done taking pictures with the foam-shielded quadcopter, we snatched it away, took it outside, and started flying it around our cul-de-sac using Parrot’s app for iOS. Now, given what an iPhone can do, the software is pretty nifty. But control certainly wasn’t what I’d call natural, smooth, or even intuitive. It was a lot of flicking around the phone’s screen, trying to get the drone to go where we wanted.

Obviously that would be a total waste on the Shield’s touchscreen. So, there’s now a Shield-optimized version of the AR.Freeflight software that lets you control the drone using joysticks. It’s a completely different experience. parrot ar drone serviceI’m pretty sure I completely drained the Parrot’s battery five times just trying to get initial impressions written up. ar drone 2 price indiaIn the video below, I handed Shield over to my father, who proceeded to nearly run me down with it. ar parrot drone linuxBut hey, whatever, he was having fun.parrot ar drone linux control Of course, you retain all of the on-screen functionality, like automated take-offs and landings. black ops 2 hunter drone

Shield’s five-inch screen is also where you see the camera’s 720p output, and where you’re able to start a recording. But the two joysticks take care of control. The right stick is tasked with up/down and rotation, while the other one banks left/right and pitches forward/back.parrot ar drone 2 battery upgrade Shield would make for a very expensive (and not altogether comparable) remote control, on top of the $300 AR.black ops 2 drone charging timeBut if you were already planning to buy Shield for its more primary purposes, and Parrot’s quadcopter was on your wish list, know that the combination is so much more fun than using an iOS- or Android-based smartphone to fly. Nvidia just announced that, instead of availability this week, its Shield handheld should be available at some point in July due to a recently-discovered issue with part of the device.

More from us when we receive the updated unit!Drone 2.0: Even more piloting possibilities! Windows 8, Microsoft Surface, NVIDIA Shield, Myo armband, FPV glasses…Drone 2.0 users a wide-range of compatibility for its piloting application with new peripherals and connected systems.Drone 2.0 can now be piloted from a Windows 8 PC or tablet, an NVIDIA Shield or soon via the Myo armband and more to come! • NVIDIA Shield: Running on Android, NVIDIA Shield presents an alternative version of the AR.Drone footage directly to Shield. • Windows 8: In addition to giving access to an ultra intuitive and precise piloting mode, AR.FreeFlight for Windows 8 will offer new functionalities accessible in one click: HD photos and videos with a redesigned user interface, highly recommended on Microsoft Surface. Please check here for compatibility. • Myo armband: A futuristic piloting mode with the next Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy product from Thalmic Labs. An app is planned for H2-2014.