Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 full details leaked, 720p camera and new flight modes?

It was hard to miss the "2 .0"

branding over at Parrot 's little

aerodrome here at CES, but with

nary a detail we were left

speculation what the new major

version number means. Now,

though, we have some more

details. A lot more details, actually.

Over at AR Drone Flyers we've

spotted what looks to be an official

press release detailing everything

about the new UAV, most notable

being an improved 720p camera.

You can apparently use this to

record footage from the drone and

even program it to fly in any

direction automatically. In other

words, this could be the low-cost

aerial camera DIY extreme sports

filmmakers have waited for. And,

at $299 when it ships in Q2 , it'll be

quite close to affordable. You can

check out a picture of the new

drone above and read the full

details in the seemingly official

press release below.

[Thanks, Symon Davis]

Show full PR text

Parrot 'AR.Drone 2.0 ':

High-Definition Excitement!

At CES Las Vegas 2012, Parrot, a

global leader in wireless devices for

mobile phones, reveals the

AR.Drone 2.0 , the new generation

of its renowned high-tech

quadricopter that can be controlled

by Wi-Fi using a smartphone or

tablet.

With a new high-definition camera,

video recording, flight data sharing,

new piloting mode, increased

stability and brand-new look, the

AR.Drone 2.0 offers an experience

like no other!

A flying HD camera

While in flight, the Parrot

AR.Drone 2.0 's front camera

transmits real-time what the

quadricopter sees onto the pilot's

device screen.

For the first time the AR.Drone 2.0

camera, with a 1280x720

resolution, shows a view from the

sky in high definition with smooth and

unbelievable images.

The pilot enjoys an experience like

never before, as if he was on board.

For gaming purposes, this camera

also can recognize specific shapes

and colors to show augmented-

reality elements on the

smartphone's screen.

Record and share flying

experiences

Thanks to the new AR.FreeFlight

2.0 piloting application, players can

record their own HD videos and

watch them or share them with the

AR.Drone community.

Additionally, with the "travelling"

feature, the pilot can film HD video

sequences like a professional!

Simply select the direction of travel

(forward, back, sideways) and the

duration, and the AR. Drone 2.0

does the rest.

AR.FreeFlight 2.0, a new piloting

and sharing platform

In addition to flying the AR.Drone,

new application AR. FreeFlight 2.0 –

available to download for free from

the AppStoreSM and AndroidTM

Market – offers players a new

interface and several options.

. FreeFlight: Access to the piloting

application.

. The pilot can record flights, take

HD videos or photos and save them

in the piloting device. All the flight

data (altitude, speed, duration and

place) can be saved, checked by the

pilot and shared with the

community.

. Guest Space: Access an overview of

the AR. Drone 2.0 , the best flight

videos and practical information.

. Drone Update: Access the

AR.Drone 2.0 's free software

updates.

. AR.Drone Academy: Get

geolocation data of the best flight

zones, watch other pilots' videos

and access their shared flight data.

. AR.Games : Access applications/

games available for the AR.Drone.

. Photos/Videos : Directly access

your own videos and photos. Watch

or upload to YouTube for the

community to enjoy.

'Absolute Flight', a revolutionary

ultra-intuitive flight mode

After the AR.FreeFlight 2.0 pilot

application has been loaded onto an

iOS or AndroidTM smartphone or tablet, the Parrot

AR.Drone 2.0 connects to the device

via Wi-Fi . After connection, all the

on-board instruments appear on

screen with a cockpit view.

Press the take off button briefly

and the four brushless motors turn

on. The AR.Drone 2.0 takes off.

Flying is very simple. With your

thumbs placed on either side of the

screen, a control button

automatically forms beneath:

. Press and hold the left button and

the AR. Drone 2.0 follows the

movement of the pilot's device: it

moves forward, backwards or

sideways when you tilt the tablet

forward, towards you or to the left

or right.

. Slide your finger over the right

button, and the quadricopter rises,

descends or rotates right or left.

Thanks to Parrot's patented new

'Absolute Control' mode, the player

accesses an even more intuitive

piloting system.

With a 3D magnetometer, the

AR.Drone 2.0 knows its precise

orientation with respect to the

smartphone, which becomes the

reference point. The pilot no longer

needs to care about the orientation

of the AR.Drone 2.0' s front camera,

which will accurately track the

smartphone's motion and tilt.

Experienced players will select

'Relative Flight' mode, the

conventional flight mode. This

disables Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 's

magnetometer. The pilot manages

the quadricopter's orientation with

no assistance.

Surprising stability at any altitude

The heart of the AR.Drone 2.0

contains MEMS

(microelectromechanical systems).

A 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis

gyroscope, a 3-axis magnetometer

and a pressure sensor give the

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 surprising

stability, complete with:

. 2 ultrasound sensors, which

analyze flight altitude up to 6

meters. New! A pressure sensor

completes the device and provides

great vertical stability.

. 4 blades, specially designed for

the AR. Drone 2.0 , make it possible

to carry out smooth flights.

. A second camera, placed beneath

the quadricopter and connected to

the central inertial unit, measures

the craft's speed using an image

comparison system.

2 hulls made for both types of flight

The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 has 2 hulls

with specially designed contours.

Made of PA66 (a material used in

designing car bumpers), they are

light, highly resistant and protect

the quadricopter.

For outdoor flight, the contoured

hull, available in three colors

(orange /yellow; orange/green;

orange/ blue), reduces wind

resistance and preserves the

AR.Drone 2.0 's handling and

stability.

When indoor, a second hull

protects the blades from any

impact. The black-and-white

cockpit, underlined with a red

stripe, reinforces the quadricopter's

mysterious, thrilling appearance.

Finally, light-emitting diodes

(green in front, red in rear),

positioned on the landing gear,

help the pilot track the orientation

of the AR.Drone 2.0 for easier

flying.

An Open Development Platform

In order to expand the use of the

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 and its

compatibility with other operating

systems and to develop new flying

games and applications, Parrot is

providing developers and members

of the Apple® and AndroidTM

communities with a software

development kit.

By logging in at https: //

projects.ardrone .org and accepting

the terms of the license, developers

can access the source code used to

fly the AR.Drone 2.0 . A wiki and a

tutorial also are available. A forum

is available to discuss new

developments and share feedback

with Parrot engineers.

***

The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 runs on a

rechargeable lithium-ion battery

(included ).

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 will be

available for purchase at selected

retailers in Q2- 2012 in the United

States for $299 MSRP

Rudz