AR.Drone, At E3 Expo 2010
The hidden truth behind the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is that it can surface really cool hardware/software by the most obscure companies out there. Sure you attend E3 to be wowed and bedazzled by tight graphics, great gaming content, the sheer massiveness of the event and not to mention the very attractive and well built hostesses of the event. These are usually smashed into your face almost forcibly as you enter into the main convention areas where grand, decadent booths are set up to usher in eager gaming enthusiasts alike often chaperoned by attractive booth consultants (let's call them).
Unless you're an exhibitor, you are often led away from the less noticeable companies and booths that are typically off the treaded path. It is that path where you will find innovations that haven't quite caught the public eye in the typical glorified manor that accompanies things like Microsoft's control free system, Kinect or the PlaystationMove (one to one) control system.
This is where our story begins. Between the massive south and west halls of the huge Los Angeles Conference Center. Covered by a mere tent, and lured in by black skintight suited hostesses, Parrot introduces the gaming world to a new immersive gaming experience called the AR.Drone. The catch phrase, "your reality becomes a video game" is revealed in an innovative contraption of engineering prowess.
The Air Drone is a cool flying device, controlled via an iPhone app, a wireless connection that is delivered via the AR.Drone and nerves of steel to maneuver around.
The controls are pretty simple and are presented similarly to any standard game controller. Holding the iPhone horizontally, one will see a left and right tactile analogue stick separated by two tactile buttons; the top button is your reset button (and you'll be using this a lot) and a lift-off button just to the bottom. Though navigating the AR.Drone is achieved through a combination of tilting your iPhone and manipulating either or both of the "analogue-like" controls, simply maneuvering your iPhone exclusively will not affect it's movement. A much needed feature since the propensity for crashing into things is pretty high especially for a novice like myself.
The use of this tactile control interface on the iPhone or iPod touch is fairly accurate and can always be improved upon especially since this is an open source application. No indication as yet whether this will make an appearance on the Droid market place but it's certainly possible for Droid lovers.
Weighing anywhere from 360 to 400 grams the AR.Drone's light frame makes it possible to achieve lift off with the four high-efficiency propellers (specially designed for the Parrot AR.Drone). Combined with the super light carbon tube structure with fiber-reinforced PA66 plastic and EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) shaped hull for outdoor flight, the AR.Drone is a light, durable and very maneuverable device.
As one of the engineers on deck attempted to instruct me on how to maneuver the AR.Drone, it soon dawned on me (as it did to others that attempted to pilot it), that it was a little trickier than it looked. Rest assured though that for novices like myself, Parrot provides semi autopilot like features to help with the lack of aviation skills. First there's an automatic take-off and landing. Since the device is operated via Wi-fi connection by way of a Ad-hoc digital Wi-Fi liaison from the AR.Drone (no need for a Wi-Fi router) the range is limited to up to 50 meters). This is regulated for you so you don't climb too high and auto calibrates depending on excess wind or proximity to other AR.Drones.
To help you navigate more Parrot places two cameras on the AR.Drone, one in the front and one on the bottom. Both cameras stream the content straight to your iPhone/iPod touch device both of which you can easily switch through via the app. This allows you to fly the drone straight seemingly from inside the cockpit for a more realistic feel. The concept is nice though I did find myself more inclined to watch the AR.Drone taking flight through my hands than on the screen. Though this would be more of a problem as Parrot provides games that one can play with one or more devices. Looking through the device becomes essential in order to progress through the game. The app is set up to detect when shots are fired, alerts when enemy devices are near by and so forth. Since they didn't have a game simulation that I could sample I can't comment on this feature. I will tell you however, that landing on top of structures would've been virtually impossible if it wasn't for the camera on the bottom of the device.
Lastly, Parrot includes they're own proprietary Lithium Polymer battery and according to their rep, on a full charge (which takes 90 minutes), the AR.Drone can be continuously operated for up to 12 minutes.
This is being sold to the market for around $299 bucks, which is sure to put a dent into your pocket for a cool device that only flies for 12 minutes before you need to recharge the battery for 90 minutes. The device is cool in the sense of one being able to fly an object that's very light and durable, uses built in Wi-fi, computer running Linux, and two cameras, one of which provides a wide angle view. However that hefty price point and a battery life of only 12 minutes despite it being rechargeable, might make the average consumer pass on this one. If you like to fly remote operated devices and support open source platforms and your pockets can handle the debt, Parrot's AR.Drone is undoubtedly a must have device.
By Chad Chamberlain