Russell Holly? Hands-on: Parrot AR Drone 2.0 packs new features and better hardware
In many ways, you could attribute the current rush of toys accessories powered by our smartphones to the Parrot AR Drone. The ability to fly a really cool looking quad-copter through the office with your smartphone was enough to excite any geek, and Parrot made that happen. The eventual growth to include both iOS and Android software to control the drone meant a massive market of people to enjoy the device. Now, as other smartphone-controlled gadgetry, like Sphero, is hitting the market, Parrot felt the need to refresh the AR Drone and give it some new bragging rights with the Drone 2.0.
New and Improved Hardware
The original AR Drone is still incredibly fun to operate, but the first thing anyone does with one is crash it into something. Unfortunately, for some, that’s the last time your AR Drone 1.0 is intact. Parrot redesigned the hulls for the Drone 2.0 to handle much more stress. When using it indoors, the foam composite hull that goes around the blades has been improved, without being any heavier. In the demonstration, the AR Drone 2.0 rammed the wall of the convention center as fast as it could go, and bounced off without a scratch.
When you take the Drone 2.0 outside, you remove that outer hull and let the new aerodynamically engineered EPP hull protect the quad-copter without risking it being blown away. EPP is a damage resistant plastic commonly used in car bumpers. The Parrot guys weren’t quite as willing to crash the AR Drone 2.0 with the foam core off of it, since your blades are exposed in that configuration.
The camera on the AR Drone 2.0 took a big boost as well, offering a 720p view of the world from your controller. The camera records at 30 fps, and allows you to upload the videos to YouTube as soon as you are finished recording them. Since your only rage limitation is how far your point to point WiFi connection with the Drone 2.0, the end result is a high definition aerial view that you have complete control over.
All New SoftwareThe App Store and the Android Market are now serving up the AR FreeFlight 2.0 app to complement the new hardware from Parrot. This update includes a significant UI update and several new features to play with. With FreeFlight you can control the drone and record your flights or take pictures as you fly around, but you can also take the flight data and share it with other AR Drone users. Altitude, duration, location, and speed information are all recorded and easily shared through the app. To compliment this ability, the AR Drone Academy function lets you see how-to videos and location data for the best flight zones in your area.
Firmware updates for the AR Drone 2.0 are also handled through the app. When an update is available for your drone, the icon will light up, and you can install the update with a tap. The update is sent over the WiFi connection with the Drone, so everything can be done quickly and efficiently.
As more developers take advantage of the open development platform for the AR Drone, the AR Games section of the app will fill with more augmented reality, tag, and other inventive ways to play with the Drone.
When you fly the AR Drone, you can do it by looking at the drone and piloting with the FreeFlight controller, or you can use Absolute Flight, and use just your smartphone or tablet. The app will show you from the camera how the world looks from the drone’s perspective, but there are a few more things going on here. Absolute Control uses a 3D magnetometer to keep itself oriented. Using your controller as the orientation point, you no longer need to worry about how level the Drone is. However, if you’re an experienced Drone pilot, you can make the Drone 2.0 do aerial somersaults and exert much more control over how this version performs.
Final ThoughtsAll across the board, the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 feels like a solid upgrade. It is much easier to fly, built better, and the 720p camera does a great job of catching cool aerial shots. With all of those upgrades, the AR Drone 2.0 is still $300. While it may be the most expensive accessory you buy for your phone, it is by far the most entertaining.
自動翻譯僅供參考
親身實踐:Parrot AR Drone 2.0具有新特性和更好的硬件 鸚鵡AR無人機(jī)2包新的功能和更好的hardware
在很多方面,你可以把玩具配件通過我們的智能手機(jī)對鸚鵡AR無人機(jī)的電流沖擊。飛真的很酷的四直升機(jī)通過辦公室與你的智能手機(jī)是足以激發(fā)高手的能力,使發(fā)生的鸚鵡。最終的生長包括iOS和Android軟件來控制無人機(jī)意味著人的巨大市場享受裝置?,F(xiàn)在,其他智能手機(jī)控制設(shè)備,如球、打市場,鸚鵡覺得需要刷新AR無人機(jī),給它一些新的無人機(jī)2吹牛的權(quán)利。
新的和改進(jìn)的硬件
原AR無人機(jī)依舊非常有趣操作,但第一件事任何人都沒有一個是它撞到東西。不幸的是,對于一些,這# 8217;是你最后一次AR無人機(jī)1是完整的。鸚鵡重新設(shè)計了無人機(jī)2的外殼來處理更多的壓力。在室內(nèi)使用時,泡沫復(fù)合材料船體周圍的葉片已經(jīng)得到改善,沒有任何較重。在示威中,無人機(jī)2在會議中心的墻上撞上了它可以去的,而且沒有一個劃痕就跳了下來?!?/ P 》
當(dāng)你把無人機(jī)2外,你拆下外殼,讓新的空氣動力學(xué)設(shè)計的EPP船體不冒這被吹走保護(hù)四直升機(jī)。EPP是一種常用的抗損傷塑料汽車保險杠。鸚鵡的家伙不是# 8217;不太愿意崩潰的AR無人機(jī)2與泡沫芯關(guān)閉它,因為你的葉片是配置曝光。
相機(jī)在AR無人機(jī)2拿了一個大的提升,提供世界觀從720P你的控制器。在30幀的攝像機(jī)記錄,并允許你上傳視頻到Y(jié)ouTube一旦你完成錄制他們。因為你唯一的限制是你的憤怒程度的點對點的無人機(jī)2 WiFi連接,最終的結(jié)果是一個高清晰度的鳥瞰圖,你可以完全控制。
所有新軟件的App Store和Android市場現(xiàn)在提供的AR FreeFlight 2應(yīng)用程序補(bǔ)充新的硬件的鸚鵡。此更新包括一個顯著的用戶界面更新和幾個新功能的發(fā)揮。在自由飛行可以控制無人機(jī)和記錄您的航班或拍照一樣飛到你的身邊,但你也可以把飛行數(shù)據(jù)和與其他用戶分享ar。高度,時間,位置,速度信息都記錄下來,很容易通過應(yīng)用程序共享。為了配合這個能力,AR Drone學(xué)院功能讓你看視頻和位置數(shù)據(jù)在您的地區(qū)最好的飛行區(qū)。
固件更新的AR無人機(jī)2也通過App。當(dāng)一個更新是可供您的無人機(jī),該圖標(biāo)將點亮,并且您可以安裝更新的水龍頭。更新是在無人機(jī)的WiFi連接發(fā)送的,所以一切都可以做到快速有效。
為更多開發(fā)者利用開放平臺開發(fā)的AR無人機(jī),對APP的AR游戲節(jié)將充滿更多的增強(qiáng)現(xiàn)實,標(biāo)簽,和其他創(chuàng)造性的方式玩無人機(jī)。
當(dāng)你飛的AR無人機(jī),你可以通過看無人駕駛的自由飛行控制器做它,或者你可以使用絕對飛行,只使用你的智能手機(jī)或平板電腦。該應(yīng)用程序?qū)@示你的相機(jī)如何世界看起來從雄蜂和# 8217;的視角,但也有一些事情在這里。絕對控制使用三維磁力計以保持自身導(dǎo)向。使用你的控制器作為定位點,你就不再需要擔(dān)心無人機(jī)的水平有多高了。然而,如果你# 8217;是一位經(jīng)驗豐富的飛行員,可以使無人機(jī)2做空中翻筋斗和施加更多的控制如何執(zhí)行這個版本。
最終thoughtsall一刀切,鸚鵡AR無人機(jī)2感覺像一個堅實的升級。這是飛,更容易建立更好,和720p的攝像頭能夠很好地捕捉?jīng)鏊暮脚?。隨著所有這些升級,無人機(jī)2仍然是300美元。這可能是你買的最昂貴的配件,但它是最有趣的。
評論
查看更多