Parrot AR Drone Turns Real Life into a Video Game

Should put a warning on package, for Rich people only. all those that think they can afford this check again. teh average low end cost of a phone capable of using the software is around 500 dollars, not to mention the added cost of the drone, which will prolly run around 500. so if you have 1k to fork out for enetertainment of a floating donothing craft go for it.

P.S. give it 5-6months after release and a cheaper "drone" will be released.

this... is... SUPER COOL

This is very cool. I'd love to see this thing flying around for real :)

@Azorus: Expensive, yes. $1000, I don't think so :). They mention an iPhone, which is about $200, but if you shop around you could probably pick one up for $100. The software would be packaged with the product, and judging by the image, build quality, new-product craze... I'd guess it to start at $300, at most.

That runs you about $400 for the whole deal. However, I would also assume that most of the people interested in buying this would already have a smartphone capable of running the app to fly this thing, so the phone is a sunk cost.

give it some missiles and then I'm on board

How big are the 'real' drones we use in the military, and if this kind of flight and stability is possible at small scale, why can't we just expand it and turn them into flying cars?

Even if they won't fly outside due to wind and lightning and such...wouldn't there be a practical use in doors somehow?

"..........why can't we just expand it and turn them into flying cars?"

Lack of an energy source. It's difficult enough to fashion an energy source for something just moving on the ground. Aircraft need to be light to even get into the air with conventional power plants, and electric power, or batteries are seriously heavy.

You'll also notice that the structure of the toy is made of foam and thin-shell plastic, tiny wires, etc, which is the real reason they're not ideal outside. Very light means it has to use more power to adjust its avionics to remain stable.

If you want energy efficient flying machines, look to living creatures. Or better yet, ask why we want to fly in the first place.

What is new is old. I remember back when I was about 8 or 9, in the 40's, I had a game, Which was a flat periscope, that you used as a bombsite, it held 4 dart like bombs, and you would move it over a large flat dart board,that was on the floor, with a overhead picture of the roofs of a Nazi city. You were standing up looking through the periscope, and would pull a lever on the bombsite, and drop one of the dart bombs. There were numbers on top of the roofs for scoring. Who ever scored 150, won.

Always love that game, maybe they should put little bomb darts on the Parrot!

Mount an airsoft gun on it make it able to work with several devices other then just the iphone and sell it for $200 I'll so buy one of these.

I'd like to see netbook and wiimote functionality for example.

the suggestion to add airsoft is cool. it would add the complication of weight and recoil. As long as it was single-shot, it may be manageable.

Beecher Bowers
www.desktopgaming.com