AR.Drone: The first quadricopter controlled by iPhone and iPod touch (with video)

Parrot has unveiled the AR.Drone, the first quadricopter that can be controlled by iPhone and iPod touch.

Thanks to the accelerometer in the iPhone and iPod touch that's constantly detecting users' movements, the AR.Drone is very easy to pilot by leaning the iPhone forward or sideways to corner or change direction. On the iPhone's Multi-Touch™ screen, command buttons provide rise, down, rotate, back, forward, etc. AR.Drone is designed for flying inside and outside. Features include autopilot, Wi-FI, two cameras, ultrasound sensor and more.

Pilots see the AR.Drone's camera output in real time on their iPhone and iPod touch screens.

Direct link via YouTube here.

The release date is listed as "2010" and no pricing information is currently available.

More info here.

MacDailyNews Take: The paparazzi are going to have a field day.

Yeah and it's illegal to make unauthorized recordings of songs or smoke marijuana. People will use it how they want to use it.

Right now, the limitations I see are that it apparently requires wifi rather than 3G or E, so you're going to be restricted to areas where you have wifi access. If it could use a 3G network, for example, it would have a virtually unlimited range. You could, for example, use it to probe a military base from miles away. Of course, if you had access to the base wifi, you could do it.

For surveillance, it depends upon how controllable it is, the accuracy, resolution and zoom capabilities of the camera (my GUESS is that it would initially be a fixed wide lens,) loudness of the motor, height capabilities, etc. There are possibilities, but also some limitations. I mean, if you suspected your girl was cheating on you, it might be a little obvious if the helicopter came zooming into the bedroom and circled the bed a few times, so for inside surveillance, it would be difficult to keep the helicopter hidden. Outside, your target might not notice it, but I doubt it could keep up with a car, so unless you think someone is going to pull something walking from their office to their car, I don't know how well it would work for that.

The terrorist thing is the biggest risk, with the best agent being something like Sarin. Bombs would probably weigh too much, but a small quantity of sarin is probably a doable load. The air draft created by the props would disperse it well.

Since I've started, I might as well "drone" on (HA! I kill me!.) Let's get crazy for a second, and think about the possibility of getting the interior controller and rigging it to a bigger, more powerful model. That would require a lot of technical expertise, BUT, with the small copter working as a proof of concept, theoretically, you could control significantly larger and more potent devices.

If Parrot makes it, then it’s good. I’ve had several of their wireless and Bluetooth products over the years. Still have, and use, a Bluetooth phone that connects to my auto stereo, very similar to the Ford Sync with voice commands...only I bought mine 2004!

I wonder if they’ll be developing a version for my next phone...the Nexus One.

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