One of the most pleasant surprises we've come across while visiting this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, was Parrot's booth, where we've had the chance to check out live some of the company's latest products (such as the NIA digital photo frame), but also its already super-famous AR.Drone helicopter, remotely-controlled via the iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. To be perfectly honest, we weren't exactly sure what to expect from the AR.Drone, but the device's real-life behavior managed to convince us that we're talking about a toy/accessory that will become immensely popular on the future, as it enables users to fly and engage in all sorts of activities (video recording, fighting other AR. The flying device can best be described as a quad-copter, featuring four electric engines, attached to a frame manufactured from a very light polyurethane material, that delivers a very good level of stability, while also being quite lightweight. Moreover, the control system is extremely simple, everything being done via an app for iOS devices, available for free, that lets users move the quad-copter around, set it up (including its maximum height, etc.) and view live video feeds provided by the AR.

The iOS device connects to the AR.Drone via Wi-Fi, the flying machine itself generating a wi-fi network users will have to log-on to in order to fully control it. It's also interesting to mention that the device is powered by a ARM9 468 MHz processor that is paired with 128MB of DDR memory and a custom built Linux OS, while also letting users engage in virtual aerial “dog-fights”, via a a dedicated gaming application. The only major shortcoming the AR.Drone has is related to the battery life, one battery lasting for just around 12 minutes. However, the company's officials have revealed the fact that they're already working on more capacitous power packs, but also on some other interesting accessories, such as dedicated car chargers, that would enable users to enjoy their AR.Drone for longer periods of time, regardless of the location. As mentioned right from the start, we've been thoroughly impressed with the capabilities of the AR.Drone from Parrot, and we're really looking forward to checking it live once more, perhaps even for a full review.

Parrot A.R. Drone: iPhone controlled robot incoming News   Tags: a.r. drone, ces 2010, Parrot Wowwee was sadly absent at this year’s CES curtain raising knees up, CES Unveiled. But Parrot more than made up for it with its iPhone-powered A.R. Drone. This flying quadricopter robot had gadget fanatics rapt, with Parrot claiming it’ll open up a new world of augmented reality gaming. This bold claim is backed by the fact you can use the Parrot A.R. Drone to detect real life targets on your iPhone while flying it. In truth, it’s a far fetched concept. It’s simply cool enough as a flying robot to make us want one big time. Wowwee Joebot and Roborover launched The Parrot A.R. Drone uses accelerometers and two video cameras to keep itself stable while it’s hovering in the air. It’s controlled over Wi-Fi, with Parrot’s people telling us it had a massive fifty metre range. However, you will inly get 15 minutes if flight from a 90 mite charge. Unsurprising as it has four blades, but still a short burst.

We’ve been told that the A.R. Drone will land some time in 2010, although Parrot’s keeping schtum on just how much it’ll cost. Expect this slice of futuristic wizardry to be mad expensive though. How mobile readers digest: What’s the key to a great mobile site design?New Coca-Cola Christmas ad fixes what wasn’t broke Twitter’s secret skill: Is it really an advertising goldmine?parrot ar drone nzEhang 184 Passenger Drone Unveiled, And 'Blade Runner' Future Is Within Sightparrot ar drone charger flashing red 01/07/2016 4:38 pm ESTparrot ar drone barato 01/07/2016 4:59 pm ESTparrot ar drone preço

Signs are piling up that the modern world has caught up to the future envisioned in "Blade Runner."First, there was this image from a smog-filled day in Beijing last year..Not a billboard from movie Blade Runner, but a photo of Beijing's smog & one of the buildings with a video running. /NNb6OVO6WT— Anis (@hertzmau5) January 14, 2015Now, Chinese company Ehang has pioneered a passenger drone that looks very much like the film's flying cars.parrot ar drone gyro flyerThe Guangzhou-based firm used the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas Wednesday to show off the Ehang 184.It's an aerial vehicle that can transport passengers for a maximum of 23 minutes at sea level, travelling at an average speed of 100 kilometres per hour.x rebirth cargo lift dronesThe drone can only carry a maximum of 220 pounds at one time, and there's enough room inside to carry one person and a 16-inch bag in a luggage trunk.

It uses four arms and eight propellers, and trips are pre-determined using a tablet that sits in the vehicle, The Guardian reported.When the propellers fold away, the whole vehicle can fit in a single parking space.One can't help being reminded of "Blade Runner's" Spinner vehicles.Ehang hopes to sell the drone for as much as $300,000 later this year, The Guardian said. It claims to have taken strong safety precautions: the vehicle will land in the closest safe area if even a single propeller breaks down.The Ehang 184 can also fly in thunderstorms, but it's pre-programmed to stay grounded during extreme weather events.Ehang's drone isn't the first that the company has designed. It has also built the Ghostdrone 2.0, which users can control using their phones.The passenger drone comes as authorities in Canada and the U.S. are looking into new regulations around aerial vehicles.Transport Canada said Tuesday that it is looking into stronger laws around such aircraft, CBC News reported."We want to make sure that we encourage aviation, and this is a neat new sector," the department's director of civil aviation, Aaron McCrorie, told CBC's Power and Politics.