R/C helicopter flying is near the top of the list of activities that will make you feel like a child yet again. For a very long time they cost you 1000s of dollars and also were extremely hard to master and fly. You are now able to find a large number of model helicopters for under $50. But these get blown around outside the house and tend to be difficult to maneuver even inside. In the next few paragraphs you will learn about Parrot's AR Drone. You'll find it affordable, yet still packed with capabilities that make it suitable for outdoor in addition to inside flying.
Its name is in fact a good description. The term "drone" is commonly used in reference to a remote-controlled un-manned aerial vehicle. To help with the flying, modern-day drones have on-board computers. The Parrot company uses "AR" to refer to augmented-reality. Apps can blend real-time video from a wireless camera on the drone with virtual-reality computer generated graphics to produce several AR games. But most owners just simply operate the drone and camera just for flying about with no game feature.
For lift, the AR Drone works by using 4 rotors configured in a square. Overall it's a bit less than two feet on a side and a little shorter than half a foot high. It's surprisingly light-weight, approximately one pound, on account of high-performance battery packs and the most up-to-date in electronics. The drones four motors are actually strong enough for outdoor flying too. Typical flight time is around 10 minutes, just about the same as for a gas-powered remote-control helicopter.
The AR quadricopter truly shines because of its innovative electronics. Costing a few 100 bucks, it's still amazing just how much Parrot has included. The suite of sensors on their own would've cost you a thousand dollars several years ago. You get 2-axis of gyroscope sensing plus 3 accelerometers. Their readings are combined in order to stabilize orientation. There's additionally sonar to regulate altitude up to about 20 feet. The Drone can easily soar higher, though altitude will not be as steady. In major technological innovation, you will find there's second video camera. This one looks downward and its data helps stabilize position. This selection of sensors enables the drone to pretty much stabilize itself, nevertheless you'll still have to have a little practice to learn the best way to maneuver it around.
You fly the AR Drone helicopter by using an Apple iPhone, iPad tablet, or iPod Touch. Operation is via on-screen graphics which look a lot like a game controller. There's also displays pertaining to such things as battery level as well as signal strength. Underneath all this is a live video feed from the drone. You may pick the frontward or downwards looking video camera. But you will need to watch the drone yourself any time you're flying quickly. If you have a friend who has a drone you can also use the AR features for racing as well as battle games. All the sensors are used to produce a sort of auto-pilot having automated takeoff, emergency landing, and hold-position settings.
You aren't going to be able to do extreme acrobatics like regular gas-powered helicopters, nevertheless the AR Parrot Drone a lot more exciting than toy mini-helicopters. It was a big hit at the Consumer Electronics Show, and almost every person who've flown one views the AR Drone one of the greatest fun-per-dollar grown-up toys you're likely to come across.
A computer engineer, Roberts has had professional experience with computer systems for unmanned drones. Visit his internet site about the AR-Drone to find additional info.It features a frank AR Drone review, where he explains bad together with good issues.
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