Parrot AR Drone 2.0: recording at 720p 30f from the air

One of the novelties of CES 2012 has been the update of Parrot's AR Drone, a toy for adults that in its latest update suggests a useful tool for the audiovisual sector.

The AR Drone is a radio aircraft controlled by a Smartphone or tablet that has been flying over our skies for a year now. What is special about it compared to other radio control devices? Expert Fernando Blanco answers this question, and its implications for audiovisuals, in this interesting article published today by the Digital Leisure and Entertainment Observatory (Killed).

Apart from the fact that it is operated with a mobile device, the control is carried out through the screen, thus piloting the device as if we were flying in it. Parrot, a renowned company in the hands-free and wireless speakers sector, surprised with this device that, with a price close to $300, is an expensive toy but one that is reaping great success, opening a new avenue in what accessories for Apple mobile devices were about.

The AR not only allows free flight without further ado, but apps were soon launched that allowed a more playful and geeky use of the device. These apps introduced virtual augmented reality environments allowing battles against imaginary rivals in real environments or even battles between different ARs with virtual weapons.

New camera

After just over a year since its release, Parrot has decided to update its toy, and it is thanks to these new improvements that it can now be said that it is somewhat "less of a toy." The 2.0 still has the fun features of its first version, but the most important improvement has to do with its camera. The new Drone incorporates a camera with 720P resolution at 30 frames per second and an angular coverage of 92 degrees. These new eyes not only allow the flight to be much better, but also incorporate the ability to record it with quality.

We are looking at an aerial recording unit at a ridiculous price, thus opening up great possibilities in the world of filmmaking at a very reasonable price. To make this recording stable, its stability controls have been improved by renewing its ultrasonic and gyroscopy measurement system, and a 3D compass and a barometric sensor have also been added. All this together with a new automatic flight system allows the AR Drone 2.0 to be programmed to automatically perform an aerial sequence in the “traveling” “Pan” and “Crane” modes preloaded in its system, indicating where it has to fly.

The new Drone also allows flight at altitude only limited by the range of the WiFi band that it uses to communicate with the receiving device and which is now also extended to Android devices. All this is possible because in its guts it carries a one Gigahertz processor with one Giga of Ram, providing the Drone with computational capabilities comparable to those of a computer.

Its price, as in its previous version, will be around $300; its release to the market in the coming months; their results on the “coming soon” billboards…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgU1TeHRPKI[/youtube]