Parrot announces availability for AR.Drone 2.0 add-ons, offers software upgrades

A little good / bad news for those dads who scored an AR.Drone 2.0 for Father's Day over the weekend. It's already time to upgrade. Starting next week, Parrot will be offering up those new add-ons it announced way back at CES. The "black box" Flight Recorder has been priced at $130, adding the ability to save flight data and GPS information from runs, which can be viewed in 3D through AR.Drone Academy maps. The device plugs into the quadcopter's USB port, bringing 4GB of storage that can also be used to save up to two hours of HD video. The Recorder also lets users perform simple piloting maneuvers via smartphone and tablet. The high density battery, meanwhile, has been priced at $70, bringing 18 minutes of flight time to the 'copter. Both are available now through Parrot's store.

On the software side, the $3.99 2.0 piloting app brings Director Mode to the flier, giving users more control over the video they shoot with their drone, including editing and picture settings like white balance and saturation. Parrot's offering the Rescue Mode update for free, meanwhile, with random shake and over balance settings to help rescue your drone from quadcopter-eating trees.

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Fighting Walrus Radio turns your iPad or iPhone into a UAV controller (video)

Fighting Walrus Radio turns your iPad or iPhone into a UAV controller video

So, here's a situation: you'd love to your iPhone or iPad to control your UAV collection, and you're pretty obsessed with collecting as many of these UAVs as possible. Aside from undoubtedly landing yourself on an FBI watch list, you'll probably also be interested in helping the folks at Fighting Walrus Radio turn their dreams into reality. In a nutshell, the project seeks to fund an iOS hardware peripheral that operates with both Lightning and Dock Connector-equipped products -- turning 'em into "a mobile ground station for your personal unmanned aerial vehicle." It's built to report your UAV's critical flight systems and log flight data within a one mile range, and it's compatible with all MAVLink drones as well as the Parrot AR.Drone. Also, it's called the Fighting Walrus Radio. For those that need a bit more convincing, there's a demo video just after the break, while to-be customers can hit up the read link.

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Source: Indiegogo

Parrot’s AR.Drone 2.0 gifted with optional flight recorder module and bigger battery

Parrot's ARDrone 20 gifted with flight recorder module and bigger battery option

Marking the first anniversary of the AR.Drone 2.0 since last CES, Parrot has announced that it'll be offering an optional GPS flight recorder module as well as a bigger battery at some point this year. The former dongle simply plugs into the flying vehicle via the USB port, and it can record the flying parameters onto its 4GB memory, which can then be reproduced on the 3D AR.Drone Academy map. As for the larger battery, it'll come with 1,500mAh worth of juice which is 50 percent more than the original one (hence a flight time of up to 18 minutes now), though we'd imagine most hardcore enthusiasts have already modded third-party batteries for the power-hungry copter.

On the software side, the AR.Drone 2.0 will soon be upgraded with a "Director Mode" for programming movements (including traveling, pan, crane and more) for more creative filming. Additionally there will be an "AR.Race 2.0" solo or multiplayer racing game, as well as an "AR.Rescue 2.0" adventure game in augmented reality. Sounds fun, and we'll be able to see the drone in action during our live CES interview with CEO Henri Seydoux this Thursday, so stay tuned.

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Alcatel-Lucent flies Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 over 3,280 feet using LTE: reach out and buzz someone (video)

AlcatelLucent flies Parrot ARDrone 20 over 3,280 feet with LTE reach out and buzz someone video

The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is many good things, but "long-ranged" isn't what comes to mind with a 165-foot maximum distance between pilot and quadrocopter. Not to be daunted, Alcatel-Lucent has conducted a test with an ad hoc LTE network, a USB modem and a smartphone to see just how far the remote-controlled aircraft could go on 4G. In practice, quite far: thanks in part to the inherently wide coverage of the 800MHz band in France, the team flew the AR.Drone more than 3,280 feet (one kilometer), all while streaming 720p video of the farmland below. Besides giving us ideas for a North by Northwest remake, the flight emphasized the possibilities that come when we have access to a long-distance wireless link with high bandwidth, such as monitoring crops or some very literal field journalism. The challenge will be convincing Alcatel-Lucent to share its trick and let us pester our not-so-next-door neighbors.

[Thanks, Vincent]

Continue reading Alcatel-Lucent flies Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 over 3,280 feet using LTE: reach out and buzz someone (video)

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Alcatel-Lucent flies Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 over 3,280 feet using LTE: reach out and buzz someone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 app lands on Nook Tablet, turns eBook fans’ gazes skyward

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 app lands on Nook Tablet, turns eBook fans' gazes skyward

eBook enthusiasts love some good quadricopter action as much as anyone, and now those with a Nook Tablet can get in on flying the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 that launched this May. Today Barnes & Noble announced that the AR.FreeFlight 2.0 app is available for a free download in its Nook Store. The program lets owners of the RC copter control the device over WiFi. Users can capture photos and videos with the Drone 2.0's embedded cameras and share them via the app or YouTube and Picassa, and double-tapping the button of the right side of the Nook makes the Drone 2.0 perform flips. The $299 AR.Drone 2.0 is available through B&N's site -- get more info in the PR below.

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Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 app lands on Nook Tablet, turns eBook fans' gazes skyward originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 05:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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