Ever since we played with the original AR drone back at CES a few years ago, we’ve been keeping an eye on them. While we all agree there are better quadcopters out there, the price point for a ready-to-fly quadcopter of this size is really great with these. When the fake video from FPS Russia of the weaponized drone made the rounds earlier this year, we were surprised at how people reacted. Anyone who has messed with quadcopters recognized it as fake right off the bat (not to mention the overly cliche fake russian character). We won’t be adding a full fledged firearm to this. Mainly because it simply can’t lift the weight (There are ones that can, but we couldn’t justify the cost just for that). We do have some ideas though. Lets go over the specs of the AR Drone 2.0 first. The manufacturer is pretty good about sharing information. They have a decent breakdown of the specs as well as a full SDK available for writing apps for the AR drone. *We’re assuming they mean 1Gigabyte of RAM there on the specs.

As you can see, it has decent specs for the $299 price tag. This is partially due to the fact that it uses wi-fi for control. parrot ar drone limited editionA decent radio system would greatly increase the distance (and probably response), but would have added another $100 to the price tag.buy drone cam This isn’t a full review of the AR Drone. parrot ar drone ipadI didn’t run it through any tough tests, nor compare it to similar sized and outfitted competitors. I just pulled it out of the box, flew it around a bit, and started thinking about how best to make it preposterously dangerous. During this time, I found that the Wi-Fi control system works fairly well. There’s not really a discernible lag between motions on the iPhone and motions on the drone.

The drone was fairly stable both indoors and out, though it really didn’t like ceiling fans. I started taping things to it to see how it would respond. As you get too much weight on it, you start to see that the stabilization system twitches attempting to keep it level. This happens long before it physically can’t lift things. It shouldn’t be an issue though as I only noticed it while attempting to hover in place. Battery life is greatly reduced though with any additional weight. This is a pain in the butt because the stock battery only offers roughly 8 min of un-weighted flight on a 1.5 hour charge. There is already a strong community of modders out there for the AR drone. Here are some common mods that I found while researching. I’ve included a few links to examples, but there are many more to be found. I’ve got some ideas. They’re not all very safe sounding, but don’t worry, I’ll take precautions to make sure no one gets hurt. They’re also not very practical, but sound really fun.

Let me know your ideas. Keep in mind that if I strip this thing down, I can really only carry 100-150 grams comfortably. Also keep in mind I don’t have the time or resources to carry out massive undertakings (sorry, no AI swarms, etc )It had to happen. Ever since I saw the so called USB-pins on the AR.Drone main board I’ve been wondering what could be done with that. One of the first things to come to mind was one of those USB missile launchers. But after seeing the ‘fantasy’ missile launcher experiments at the exellent DroneScapes website the USB missile launcher all of a sudden seem kind of lame. For starters have a look at the 5-missile launcher video (9.7Mb/MP4) by clicking on the image below for some real fireworks. And then DroneScapes even went one step further and built this intimidating contraption: Remember these hacks are from the category don’t-try-this-at-home and might seriously harm you and your drone. The latter probably won’t be eligible for any guarantee whatsoever anymore after tryings something like this.

But without further ado head on over to the Dronescapes website for some background information on their remote-controlled 7-missile launcher AR-Drone hack. Unfortunately they never released a video for that one.This review of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 will look at both, the cost efficiency of the drone, as well as the pros and cons. Parrot is known for their well-made and durable products since crashing into the public eye. These attributes are seen in the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, along with numerous other attractive features. Initial Impression of Parrot AR. The initial impression of the AR Drone 2.0 is that it has high tech features that would be good for both beginners and those who are looking for a new drone to work with. The main attribute that Parrot is promoting is the HD 720p camera and programming features. With the technology that Parrot has, this camera is actually quite impressive. Drone 2.0 and the camera can be controlled by a smart phone or tablet. Freeflight allows you to take video in real time and program the camera’s positioning.

For those who have previous drone experience, the camera programming would be a new thing to toy with. It is a very user-friendly program and would be good for people looking to get into buying quadcopters. Improvements Over Previous Model Compared to the Parrot AR Drone 1.0, the AR.Drone 2.0 surpasses the previous quadcopter in its ability to broadcast video and wifi capabilities. Most people who record video enjoy uploading their videos to YouTube or a similar site to share with friends or followers. Drone 2.0 this can be done on the same smart phone that you are controlling the drone with. This is extremely convenient, especially when compared to other drones that require uploading from a USB or other tedious options. Key Features of the Parrot AR. There are quite a number of pros to the Parrot AR. Easy To Use: It is easy to learn how to fly, as well as easy to maneuver indoors and outdoors. One of the cons to other similar quadcopters is that they cannot be feasibly flown indoors, but the AR.

Drone 2.0 doesn’t seem to be limited by this. Lightweight: The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 is lightweight, but does not get knocked around by wind. Good Camera Quality: The camera provides high quality video that is also easy to export and edit. Repair Instructions: Parrot provides instructions on how to repair certain parts, which can save money in the long run. Even the best drone fliers will break something eventually. There are a few cons to the AR. Battery Life: The battery life of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is not great. This is a problem with many drones, and a lot of people compensate for this by buying multiple batteries and just switching them out when the first one dies. It is not a huge problem, but it is something to note. Limited Stunts: There are not a lot of “tricks” that this AR 2.0 drone can perform. It does have the flip function, but if you are looking for a drone that will perform aerial stunts, this might not be for you. Overall, Parrot has done a good job putting together a cost-efficient and user-friendly quadcopter with the AR.