In a release, Henri Seydoux, founder and CEO of Parrot, said the company has been developing wireless concepts for video games for over four years. Its first project was a Bluetooth race car, which was not very satisfactory, according to their standards. Henri said that he wanted the video game to contain a part of a dream that he missed with the Bluetooth car. He explained it was the dream of “flying.” So he began working on the idea of the AR Drone. With video cameras and a powerful computer, Parrot has developed a very stable drone that is easy to control and flies like a dragonfly.
Meant for both adults and kids, it allows them to fly in a real-world environment while simultaneously playing a video game from the device's screen.
Parrot AR Drone is a quadricopter that consists of a central cockpit surrounded by four propellers, each driven by an engine. It offers amazing possibilities for piloting, excellent maneuverability and extraordinary stability.
AR Drone has two cameras of which, the first camera, located underneath, connects to an Inertial Measurement Unit, which allows the AR Drone to measure its speed and perform stationary flight. Parrot Smart Piloting (PSP) technology compensates for wind and other environmental conditions during outside flights.
For the first time, these technologies, used primarily for professional and military applications, have been adapted to the gaming universe.
The second camera, at the front, broadcasts and streams to the iPhone or iPod touch screen, what the AR Drone sees, as if you were sitting in the cockpit. This allows for the augmented reality gaming experience.
Many types of captors (wide angle camera and high speed camera, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanicals Systems), 3 axes accelerometer, 3 axes gyro, ultrasound sensor) associated with a powerful computer make the piloting easy and accessible even for the youngest or non-technologically savvy.
All due to the accelerometer of the iPhone or iPod touch that detects user's movements, the AR Drone is very easy to pilot by leaning the iPhone forward to move forward or sidewise to corner or change direction.
On the touch pad of the iPhone, command buttons also indicate some actions such as rise, down, rotate, move back, move forward.
Parrot AR Drone is designed for flying inside and outside. For an Indoor flight, a hull surrounds the propellers and protects the AR Drone if it hits an obstacle.
Outside, players will have to take into account the changing elements of the real environment, like the wind, the sunshine, the shading areas or any other obstacles, thus adding to the experience of AR. It also offers multi-player possibilities with two drones.
The Parrot AR Drone is built on an open platform, accessible to game developers. Developers who are interested in creating games for the Parrot AR Drone need to register on
www.ardrone.org.