It would be easy enough to dismiss Parrot's MiniDrone Rolling Spider as just another mini-quadcopter. And at $100 (AU$140, £90) it would be a pricey one, too, considering you can get a basic mini-quadcopter for less than $30. But, despite appearances, the Rolling Spider isn't an ordinary mini-quadcopter. For starters, it's controlled entirely with your smartphone or tablet and not a typical two-stick radio controller. And it's generally a lot of fun, except for its biggest problem: flight times of 8 minutes or less (which is the lifespan of the single included rechargeable battery). Inside, Parrot used an ultrasonic sensor, a 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer, a vertical camera, and a pressure sensor, which combine to make flight very stable -- indoors and outside. Then there are the wheels that give this MiniDrone the "Rolling" part of its name. Attach the wheels to the top of the Spider and you can drive it around on the ground or even drive it up a wall and across the ceiling.

While that's fun, it's probably more important that they give the propellers some protection while you're flying around indoors, since those are typically the first thing you'll need to replace. And you will need to buy more propellers because you only get one set with the Rolling Spider. In the box along with with the MiniDrone and wheels you get one battery, a Micro-USB cable, and some stickers so you can dress up your MiniDrone. Accessories coming in September include batteries at $20 each (AU$22, £14), replacement propellers for $6 a set, and replacement wheels for $10. Like Parrot's larger AR.Drone quadcopters, the Rolling Spider is completely controlled with an app on your smartphone or tablet. The FreeFlight 3.0 app is available for iOS, Android, and, in October, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices; I did all my testing with a Galaxy S4 and an iPhone 5S . The Spider connects to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth. The whole process is pretty automatic: Turn on the Spider, turn on Bluetooth on your device, and open the app.

It should automatically connect to your device and once it does you launch the controller and you're off. parrot ar drone verizonFor flying, which can be done with or without the wheels attached, you tap the Take Off button and it will start the propellers and send the Spider straight up and start hovering. parrot ar drone galaxy aceAnd it does this out of the box unlike other mini-quadcopters. ar drone too much angle emergencyThere's no need to adjust trim or anything else: It will just hover in place, which is a big reason why it's so easy to fly. ar drone 2 prijsIn its default Normal mode, the joystick on the right lets you raise and lower the Spider as well as rotate it left and right. ar drone 2 uscita

To move it forward, back, left, and right, you keep your thumb pressed down on the right joystick and tilt your device the direction you want it to go. ar drone power edition pas cherIf it starts to travel somewhere you don't want it to, don't panic, just lift your thumbs off the controls and it will stop and hover. With Indoor Hull Side-View With Indoor Hull Front-View Built-In 1280 x 720p HD Camera Capture Video & Stills While Flying Fly Using an iOS/Android Mobile Device Stream Video to Your Smartphone/Tablet Built-In Wi-Fi with 165' Wireless Range Multiple Sensors Provide Added Stability Onboard ARM Cortex A8 1GHz CPU with DSP Joypad & Absolute Flight Control Modes Performs Acrobatic Flips & Barrel Rolls WARNING: Carefully read instructions to ensure proper configuration before use. Failure to use this product responsibly may result in loss, damage, or injury.

Drone 2.0 Quadcopter Elite Edition with Snow graphics is a remote controlled, four-propeller quadcopter with an integrated HD 1280 x 720p camera that supports video and still image capture while in flight. Drone 2.0 Elite Edition includes a lighter outdoor hull for optimal performance as well as an indoor hull that features prop guards. FreeFlight Control App allows you to use your iOS or Android mobile device to operate the aircraft from the ground as well as capture video and still photos. The device has built-in Wi-Fi to facilitate connection to your smartphone or mobile device, which provides a wireless range of up to 165' depending on conditions. You can use a joystick on your mobile device touchscreen or you can simply tilt and turn your mobile device to control the quadcopter. The camera footage can be streamed directly to your mobile device using Wi-Fi for low resolution recording, can be recorded in full quality by inserting a USB flash drive or the Parrot Flight Recorder directly into the AR.

Drone for onboard, in-flight recording. Drone 2.0's other notable features include an autopilot system, access to the AR.Drone Academy, multiple sensors for smooth flying and stability in the air, an onboard 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU running Linux, and support for acrobatic maneuvers including flips and barrel rolls. Drone 2.0 is also compatible with other apps including Director Mode, AR.Rescue 2 and Astro Drone. Note: Please address all technical issues directly to Parrot. Contact technical support by phone at 877-9Parrot (877-972-7768). Indoor Hull (with Guard Rings) Outdoor Hull (without Guard Rings) LiPo Battery for AR.Drone 2.0 Quadcopter (11.1 V, 1000 mAh) Limited 1-Year Warranty Honored by Parrot; Please Address all Technical Issues Directly to Parrot 92° (diagonal) wide angle HD 1280 x 720p (30 fps) Via Wi-Fi to mobile device USB thumb drive or Flight Recorder Low latency streaming via Wi-Fi to mobile device Processor: ARM Cortex A8 (32-bit) Clock Speed: 1 GHz GPU: 800MHz DSP (TMS320DMC64x) RAM: 1 Gb DDR2 RAM Memory Clock: 200 MHz

3-axis accelerometer (± 50 mg precision) 3-axis gyroscope (2000°/second precision) Pressure sensor (± 10 Pa precision / 31.5" (80 cm) at sea level) 3-axis magnetometer (6° precision) Ultrasound ground altitude measurement sensors (effective up to 19.7' (6 m) above the ground) Dynamic wind estimation sensor 3D compass 60 fps vertical QVGA camera USB 2.0 -- for Flight Recorder, USB thumb drive, and software updates 4 x Brushless inrunner motors 14.5 W at 28,500 rpm (nominal when hovering) Android or iOS App Supported Apps Include: AR.Race 2 App, AR.Rescue 2, and Astro Drone App SDK available for custom solutions Apple iPhone Apple iPod touch Apple iPad Android smartphone or tablet (requires Android 2.2 and above) Up to 165' (50.3 m) 3-element lithium polymer rechargeable battery Up to 12 minutes Dimensions (L x W) With Outdoor Hull: 17.76 x 17.76" (451 x 451 mm) With Indoor Hull: 20.35 x 20.35" (517 x 517 mm) With Outdoor Hull: 13.4 oz (380 g) With Indoor Hull: 14.82 oz (420 g)