Russell HollyJan. 10, 2012 3:13 pmHands-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.

亲身实践：Parrot AR Drone 2.0具有新特性和更好的硬件

鹦鹉AR无人机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过我们的智能手机对鹦鹉AR无人机的电流冲击。飞真的很酷的四直升机通过办公室与你的智能手机是足以激发高手的能力，使发生的鹦鹉。最终的生长包括iOS和Android软件来控制无人机意味着人的巨大市场享受装置。现在，其他智能手机控制设备，如球、打市场，鹦鹉觉得需要刷新AR无人机，给它一些新的无人机2吹牛的权利。

新的和改进的硬件

原AR无人机依旧非常有趣操作，但第一件事任何人都没有一个是它撞到东西。不幸的是，对于一些，这# 8217；是你最后一次AR无人机1是完整的。鹦鹉重新设计了无人机2的外壳来处理更多的压力。在室内使用时，泡沫复合材料船体周围的叶片已经得到改善，没有任何较重。在示威中，无人机2在会议中心的墙上撞上了它可以去的，而且没有一个划痕就跳了下来。< / P >

当你把无人机2外，你拆下外壳，让新的空气动力学设计的EPP船体不冒这被吹走保护四直升机。EPP是一种常用的抗损伤塑料汽车保险杠。鹦鹉的家伙不是# 8217；不太愿意崩溃的AR无人机2与泡沫芯关闭它，因为你的叶片是配置曝光。

相机在AR无人机2拿了一个大的提升，提供世界观从720P你的控制器。在30帧的摄像机记录，并允许你上传视频到YouTube一旦你完成录制他们。因为你唯一的限制是你的愤怒程度的点对点的无人机2 WiFi连接，最终的结果是一个高清晰度的鸟瞰图，你可以完全控制。< / P >

所有新软件的App Store和Android市场现在提供的AR FreeFlight 2应用程序补充新的硬件的鹦鹉。此更新包括一个显着的用户界面更新和几个新功能的发挥。在自由飞行可以控制无人机和记录您的航班或拍照一样飞到你的身边，但你也可以把飞行数据和与其他用户分享ar。高度，时间，位置，速度信息都记录下来，很容易通过应用程序共享。为了配合这个能力，AR Drone学院功能让你看视频和位置数据在您的地区最好的飞行区。

固件更新的AR无人机2也通过App。当一个更新是可供您的无人机，该图标将点亮，并且您可以安装更新的水龙头。更新是在无人机的WiFi连接发送的，所以一切都可以做到快速有效。

为更多开发者利用开放平台开发的AR无人机，对APP的AR游戏节将充满更多的增强现实，标签，和其他创造性的方式玩无人机。

当你飞的AR无人机，你可以通过看无人驾驶的自由飞行控制器做它，或者你可以使用绝对飞行，只使用你的智能手机或平板电脑。该应用程序将显示你的相机如何世界看起来从雄蜂和# 8217；的视角，但也有一些事情在这里。绝对控制使用三维磁力计以保持自身导向。使用你的控制器作为定位点，你就不再需要担心无人机的水平有多高了。然而，如果你# 8217；是一位经验丰富的飞行员，可以使无人机2做空中翻筋斗和施加更多的控制如何执行这个版本。< / P >

最终thoughtsall一刀切，鹦鹉AR无人机2感觉像一个坚实的升级。这是飞，更容易建立更好，和720p的摄像头能够很好地捕捉凉爽的航拍。随着所有这些升级，无人机2仍然是300美元。这可能是你买的最昂贵的配件，但它是最有趣的。