parrot ar drone twitter
Drone startups are flying high among investors, drawing $450 million in 74 deals with venture capitalists in 2015 and $111 million the year prior. One of those companies is just now making itself known to the public after two years of developing a consumer-focused drone in “stealth mode.” Chinese drone-maker Zero Zero Robotics announced Tuesday its Hover Camera drone and $25 million in funding from investors including IDG, GSR Ventures, ZhenFund and ZUIG. The drone-maker spent the past year secretly developing Hover Camera, a drone carrying a 4K video camera that can track and follow people, can be folded up to the size of a book and that can hover as soon as you let it go from your hands. But the key to this drone’s design is the safety. The carbon fiber enclosure design protects the propellers, a design move that could have prevented injuries caused by the sharp blades of whirring propellers, like the one Enrique Iglesias experienced last year after attempting to grab a drone onstage.
“I want it to be portable, I want it to be safe, I want it to be user friendly,” said Zero Zero Robotics CEO M.Q. Wang, a former Twitter software engineer. “Our goal is to build personal robotics for anyone.” It’s something that realistically could compete with the more inexpensive drones from the two established market players, Phantom maker DJI and Yuneec. DJI so far has received at least $105 million in two rounds of venture funding, and Yuneec in August received $60 million in funding from Intel Capital. While Hover Camera is still in beta mode, Wang said the drone will cost less than $600. Zero Zero Robotics was founded in 2014 and has about 80 employees, Wang said, but the company managed to remain largely unheard of until now. “I personally think a lot of great ideas suffer in the end because it was over promised and under-delivered,” referencing the myriad failed drone Kickstarter campaigns that promised a unique drone, many of which never ended up shipping.
(A controversial requirement from the FAA states that all drones weighing more than 250 grams must be registered.) “We wanted to make sure we solved a lot of hard engineering problems first,” Wang said.
parrot ar drone 2 motorMore: that’s s what you get when you opt for the Parrot AR Drone 2.0.
parrot ar drone and goproWe’re talking more in every respect: from 36 minutes of flying time to smartphone or tablet control, this bird can lift your drone experience to new heights to the tune of 350 bucks. The “Power Edition” comes with a valuable set of accessories. Here’s what we found in the box, next to the model itself: The batteries are the main draw of the “Power Edition”: while the regular version comes with one 100 mAh pack, this one has 2 high-density lithium-polymer batteries, each packing 1500 mAh.
You get three times the battery life of the regular stock model, jumping from 12 to 36 minutes. The bad news here for the Parrot is that you need to interrupt your session and exchange batteries once the first one is dead. Also, you’ll want to plan your RC session well ahead of time: charging a battery takes a couple of hours. The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 is coated in black, with the colored rotors adding a solitary touch of color. The design makes them stand out and add vibrance to the the quad’s ninja-style exterior. Welcome to full Hollywood experience! Even though it’s becoming a more common feat these days, you’ll feel like a secret agent after you turn your iOS (Ipads are great for this but phones work too) or Android device into a full control panel for your AR Drone 2.0. There are apps for everyone. The quad Parrot has an integrated wifi system that allows you to connect your device like connecting to any wifi hotspot. After you do, start up the control software and you’ll get a live video stream right from the drone.
The RC flight range extends to 160 feet (50 meters). It comes with sophisticated electronics that help you straighten up and fly right: embedded sensors make it easy for you to take off and land just like a helicopter, even if you’re not an experienced drone pilot yet. The rotors are individually powered and we were impressed with the superior stability the quad’s technology affords it even in particularly windy conditions. When left to hover, it will maintain a very solid distance between itself and the ground. The hull is also very well built and will resist to the inevitable bump in the road. Be sure to mount the included protectors to keep the quad safe from damage. The drone’s app is nicely laid out and user-friendly, but we sometimes wished it was easier to precisely steer the quad. Yes, the on-screen controls overlaying the live video stream provide great flexibility, and you can even move the drone using your phone’s or tablet’s accelerometer. It’s precise and responsive most of the time – but still, we had to use the emergency landing function several times during testing, when the quad went off on its own or the app lagged.
In the “pure fun” department, the Parrot AR Drone will perform a badass barrel-roll when you double-tap your screen. Just don’t do it too often, it costs a lot of energy. The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 comes fitted with another 720p camera (meaning a 1280×720 resolution), which provides some truly great video quality. This guy doesn’t just record video: you can instantly upload content to e.g. Youtube or Picasa straight from the drone. It also features USB capability, allowing you to extend your storage space.Beyond toying around, you’ll find yourself recording memorable digital videos for yourself, your family and friends in no time. The only thing that you’ll want to modify on your video is the sound but we recommend that you add a fun music track to go along with your flight adventures. The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Power Edition is clearly not the ideal beginner’s choice, but after you’ve cut your teeth and banged up your edges on a strong starter drone, this is a great next step.