Parrot/iPhone controlled AR drone

13 Jan 2010

An iPhone-controlled sci-fi style 'quadricopter' with in-built cameras, gyroscopes and added augmented reality.

One of the most talked about toys at this year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) was this creepy Terminator-esque contraption from gadget maker Parrot. It's a remote controlled sci-fi style 'quadricopter' with an inbuilt camera that can be used for out-of-sight stealth piloting, and also enables augmented reality racing and shoot 'em up games (check the video demo above). The neatest feature is the way you fly it - by generating its own WiFi network, it enables control with an iPhone/iPod touch! The device's screen is used to relay live information from the Drone, and in gaming mode will display targets and enemy drones. The phone's accelerometer is used for controlling the drone, a super intuitive setup that even total technophobes should be able to get to grips with.

Multiplayer gaming on these things looks like it could be a whole world of mid air duelling fun, and we love how like all good AR this combines both virtual gaming and physical, real world interaction and context. It won't be a surprise to see AR and toys mix more and more, and of course falling touchscreen/hardwear prices and an adoption and understanding of screened devices at an increasingly earlier age will drive this. Sadly there is no news on price or availability of the Drone yet so start putting some pocket money aside now and keep your eyes on the gadget blogs.