Parrot's AR.Drone does a high-speed flyby of the FCC's control tower

While you're busy saving up for the totally awesome AR.Drone's $300 price tag as it makes its way toward a September launch, you can now bide your time sifting through its fifteen-odd documents posted to the FCC this week, including a bunch of internal and external photos that do a good job conveying the last thing you'll see just before you meet your four-rotor hovering doom. There's also a quick start user's manual, which interestingly suggests that users put their iPhones into airplane mode before firing up the AR.Drone app -- in other words, you should take the cellular modem offline and leave WiFi active for optimum performance. And honestly, who wants to be interrupted with calls and texts while you're trying to maneuver this beast for the kill shot?

[NeatOman Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:45PM]

Cant wait to stalk some girls with this ;)

[jrm125 Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:57PM]

@NeatOman

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSv2ca-IECc

I want this thing. Imagine two of them battling with 2 iPads!

[zerotwone Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:24PM]

@NeatOman

Is there a range on this thing?

[Ducman69 Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:49PM]

@NeatOman Yeah, but this is pretty gimped w/ their wifi/iphone setup though.

The cool thing about FPV tele-flight is being able to go places you aren't looking directly at the plane. Like this vid flying in-between buildings, above the clouds, through tunnels, over cruise ships and landing in buildings. =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiVJYBC53HA

Does the iPhone have the ability to record the stream btw?

[NeatOman Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:12PM]

@zerotwone It's basically a phone that controls the AR.Drone that runs linux kernel and it has WiFi on it already.

[zerotwone Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:29PM]

@NeatOman

I understand how it works but obviously there has to be a limit on how far you can fly this thing. 5 feet? 500 feet? 1 mile? Across the Atlantic ocean?

[NeatOman Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:45PM]

@zerotwone IDK, i just said that cuz im sure the WiFi control source has a lot to do with it, plus i'm sure that it has a separate channel for a dedicated remote. And if its built like a phone then im sure you can put some cell tech on it, but its battery only lasts like 15 min.

[Ducman69 Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:58PM]

@zerotwone Thats the problem, with the limitations of the iPhone and WiFi, you likely aren't supposed to leave your house or office with this.

The fact that it flies itself, and you only vaguely decide where its supposed to go, along with its limited capabilities make me think this would get boring compared to something more hands-on.

To keep you entertained for more than the first 15 mins for flying around your house or office, I'd recommend something like the new e-flight mcx2 that just came out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAlM4FBtDGI

Coaxial helicopters are pretty self-stabilizing, so no worries, but it won't bounce off your walls scratch free like the parrot.

[voicemailradio Posted Jun 26th 2010 1:33AM]

@zerotwone i think its 50ft.. or whatever the range of your wifi signal.. so you could use a signal repeater or bridge maybe to extend the range

[Xtole Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:46PM]

What does this have to do with the iPhone 4? I don't get it

[Quetzalcoatl Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:51PM]

@Xtole
you control it with an iphone

[statickeith Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:52PM]

@Xtole its a "toy" and iPhone is it's remote control. Pretty cool concept

[barry99705 Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:56PM]

@Xtole You can fly it with one.

[Xtole Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:58PM]

Oh. I was making a joke that Engadget hasn't posted enough iPhone stories today. After rereading this story I see they snook an iPhone reference in. Well Engadget, well played.

[MrT Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:59PM]

@Xtole Joke FAIL

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:34PM]

@MrT

I didn't realize Mr. T talked like that.

[Ignoramus Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:44PM]

@Xtole how is that funny, you fruity fool!

[SirShaq Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:46PM]

im gonna be a fly on the wall just like miley cirus!

[jonnykermode Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:21PM]

@SirShaq Nice job on spelling Cyrus right.

[SirShaq Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:28PM]

@jonnykermode i knew someone was gonna betch about that

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:35PM]

@SirShaq

I belched about that.

[SirShaq Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:51PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba lol +1

[aaronbustillos Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:47PM]

android controller?

[barry99705 Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:56PM]

@aaronbustillos In the works.

[Wello Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:27PM]

@barry99705 What? I thought it was already available..

[statickeith Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:48PM]

I guess this thing is better than all the apps currently available on the iPhone!

[dardub Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:48PM]

Is this just an expensive toy, or does it do something?

[Gavin M Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:54PM]

@dardub
It is a toy. That does stuff.

It flies.
It has a camera.
It hovers.
It's contolable thru your phone (iPhone & android soon)
It has wifi created an ad hoc network ( don't know if I'm describing it right)

[dardub Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:31PM]

@Gavin M
Sounds cool I guess. It'd be nice if it could fetch things for me. Or feed the cat while I'm not home.

[Ducman69 Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:23PM]

@Gavin M The "controlling" with an iPhone is what completely fails though.

I'm a huge RC buff and have everything from monster trucks to a camera equipped Multiplex powered glider, and its fantastic that this is able to hover so well on its own, but the iPhone control mechanism is a complete and utter joke.

The WiFi doesn't have the range for outdoor (although its probably to lightweight for all but the calmest days anyway), and so you have to wonder what the benefit is of flying with a camera when its so close to you anyway.

But the biggie is the iPhone is NOT an accurate input mechanism.

This would have been MUCH better if they used an Xbox controller with a netbook for the camera. Similar setups are what most run at RCGroups. That way you could make far more precise inputs.

[Ignoramus Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:46PM]

@Ducman69 /agree 300 bucks for a joke of a joke? no thx rather get a nitro powered RC monster truck!

[wsansewjs Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:51PM]

-whimpers- It's the rise of Skynet NOOOOESSSSS -goes crawl up in a corner-

[balwheeler Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:55PM]

Haha, you guys make a great point! Imagine using this while not having your phone on airplane mode and getting a call! Quick, does the app support multi-tasking??

[barry99705 Posted Jun 25th 2010 3:57PM]

@balwheeler Hey, they should integrate facetime with it!

[Gavin M Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:02PM]

It would automatically hover. It does this when ever it loses it's connection.

[balwheeler Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:07PM]

@Gavin M Ah, well, there you have it. Nice work, Gavin. I kinda wish it would go into A.I. mode and just fly around by itself until you whistled for it to comeback, but hovering seems like a safe choice.

[Baconbits Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:06PM]

Sometimes I fear I'm going to hear "Google became self aware on..."

[Clayforge Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:10PM]

"the last thing you'll see just before you meet your four-rotor hovering doom"

That comment just really made my day! Thanks for the smile and the chuckle!

[Scorp1us Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:12PM]

Anyone know the payload capacity?

[Timmmmmm Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:07PM]

@Scorp1us Yeah, and is the OS on the 'copter open source?

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:37PM]

@Scorp1us

According to the website, it can carry four 500lb munitions or 3,000 armor piercing rounds (30mm) and a Vulvan minigun.

Wait, am I on the right website?

[Ignoramus Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:46PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba Vulcan*

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jun 25th 2010 10:07PM]

@Ignoramus

LOL Whoops! That kind of cannon would look very different than the Vulcan cannon.

[brettnem Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:21PM]

You mean there isn't an app for that?

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:29PM]

One of your SNOT NOSED JOCKEYS did a flyby on my tower at over FOUR HUNDRED KNOTS!

I want somebody's BUTT! I want it NOW! I've HAD IT!

[zerodb Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:36PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba
Negative, Ghostrider!

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:38PM]

(bumps into clerk, gets coffee spilled all over him)

DAMMIT! That's TWICE!

I want some BUTTS!

[harhar Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:34PM]

If it can be used with the Gyro + Accelerometer, that would be awesome.

I still don't know what it would be good for though other than fun and laziness.

[Kevin B Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:09PM]

Put your iPhone in helicopter mode before using the app.

[abuuva Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:52PM]

Why it doesnt has a speaker in it? Then u could fly and play music at the same time or u could use ur own voice and talk to iphone receiver which then would come from the speaker.