Archive for Parrot

Parrot Launches Bebop 2 Real Estate Edition

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 14, 2016 by itnerd

Scanning buildings and creating 3D models has never been so simple, as the Parrot Bebop 2 drone and Pix4D software combination make image capture and 3D modeling easy. Resulting 3D models offer an interactive and engaging experience: they can be shared online, integrated into multi-media galleries, or even be 3D printed.

The Bebop 2 Real Estate Edition includes a Parrot Bebop 2 drone, the Pix4Dcapture app for accurate and automatic image capture, and Pix4Dmodel software for 3D modeling.

The mobile Pix4Dcapture app turns the Parrot Bebop 2 into a professional mapping tool, automating its flight for optimized image capture, and Pix4Dmodel turns images into 3D models on desktop or cloud, adapting to user needs.

  • Pix4D cloud automatically processes images uploaded from the drone, making models available to share online in just a few minutes.
  • Pix4D desktop gives control to the user, including advanced visualization, editing, measurement, and video creation tools.
  • The Parrot Bebop 2 is a compact, robust, lightweight drone (500g) with impressive stability and maneuverability. It can fly up to 25 minutes and provide 14 MP photos or full HD videos. With its solid, built-in camera digitally stabilized, there is no fragile gimbal to worry about and it takes only a few minutes to survey a property and gather the high quality images.

Parrot and Pix4D are offering two promotional packs available on www.parrot.com in Europe and North American: Starter and Advanced, bringing easy-to-use, affordable drone technologies to real estate professionals who want to differentiate themselves and boost their clients’ experience.

  • Bebop 2 Real Estate Starter Edition includes: 1 Parrot Bebop 2 drone and a 1 month license of Pix4Dmodel software for 549.00€ / £439.99 / $549.99
  • Bebop 2 Real Estate Advanced Edition includes: 1 Parrot Bebop 2 drone and a 1 year license of Pix4Dmodel software at 899.00€ / £754.99 / $899.99

Parrot Launches ‘follow me’ In-App Feature For Bebop 2 Drone

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 3, 2016 by itnerd

Parrot Bebop 2 pilots will benefit from an enhanced experience thanks to new tracking features. Today, Parrot launches an accurate and reliable“follow me” in-app feature with an industry-first application of visual tracking, in conjunction with the piloting smartphone’s GPS and barometer. Running, climbing, extreme sports or cycling with family or friends, Parrot Bebop 2 follows you everywhere and keeps you in the center of the action.  

Key features include:

  • The ‘follow me’ feature combines three parameters: visual tracking, smartphone’s GPS and, if available, its barometer.
  • Advanced visual tracking algorithms, designed to act like the human eye, isolate colours and shape differences of the subject against its environment, to get a more accurate framing
  • The smartphone’s GPS determines the position with a precision of up to 15 feet
  • The barometer of the smartphone optimizes the vertical tracking of the subject
  • ‘Follow me’ GPS and visual tracking feature has two modes of operation:
    • Auto Follow: you are the main subject
    • Auto Framing: you are the film director

The ‘follow me’ feature with GPS and visual tracking by Parrot is available starting today for iOS within the FreeFlight Pro application as an in-app purchase: $27.99 Canadian.

Parrot S.L.A.M Dunk: The development kit For Drones & Robotic Platforms

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 8, 2016 by itnerd

Parrot, has announced an open development kit for the design of advanced applications for autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, indoor navigation and 3D mapping for drones and other robotic platforms in environments with multiple barriers and where GPS signals are not available. 

Parrot S.L.A.M. dunk integrates several sensors:

  • A fish-eye stereo camera with a 1500×1500 resolution at 60fps
  • An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
  • An ultrasound sensor
  • A magnetometer
  • A barometer

Parrot developed S.L.A.M. dunk to be as easy and user-friendly as possible for developers, researchers, integrators and academics.

Parrot S.L.A.M. dunk can be used for:

  • Prototyping of drones and robotic solutions
  • autonomous navigation of drones and robots
  • 3D mapping
  • Stereo camera and a sensor array (IMU, barometer, magnetometer, ultrasound)

Weighting less than 4.9oz (140g), Parrot S.L.A.M. dunk fits on various types of Linux-based drones and robotic platforms including quadcopters and fixed-wings, rolling robots and articulated arms, with the help of mount kits.

It will be available in Q4 of 2016. For more info, go to http://developer.parrot.com/

New Drones from Parrot Announced

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 2, 2016 by itnerd

Two new high-tech and playful Minidrones enrich the Parrot drone family:

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Parrot Swing: the first plane Minidrone with vertical take-off, passing from the quadricopter mode to plane mode in a wink for wild races!

Parrot Mambo: the transforming drone with connected accessories to catch objects, throw projectiles or light up the dark!

This new generation of miniaturized robots introduces:

  • A dedicated gamepad, Parrot Flypad1, for more intense and precise piloting and a connection stabilized to long distance.
  • A dedicated application, FreeFlight Mini2, offering numerous improvements including off-line access to the Minidrones settings.

On top of that, Parrot has launched a FPV pack for its Bebop 2 leisure drone. The objective: To offer an immersive experience accessible for everyone with high-tech, intuitive and easy-to-transport products.

  • Availability: September 2016
  • MSRP: $179 CAN (Parrot Swing + Parrot Flypad)
  • MSRP: $159 CAN (Parrot Mambo with 2 accessories)

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Parrot Bebop 2: Powerful, with impressive stability and maneuverability, Bebop2 is a compact, robust, stable and lightweight (500 gr) video drone.

Parrot Cockpitglasses: the FPV headset that uses your smartphone and plunges you into the heart of the footage captured by Bebop 2’s frontal camera, and displays the telemetric flight data.

Parrot Skycontroller 2: the new Wi-Fi, lightweight and compact remote control with customizable joysticks and buttons offers up to 2km extended reach.

  • Availability: September 2016
  • MSRP: CAN $899 (Parrot Bebop 2 + Parrot Cockpitglasses + Parrot Skycontroller 2)
  • MSRP (FPV pack only): CAN $479 (Parrot Cockpitglasses + Parrot Skycontroller 2)

 

Parrot Disco – The First Fixed-Wing Drone For Immersive Flights

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 27, 2016 by itnerd

Parrot makes the dream of piloting your own plane a reality with the launch of Parrot Disco – the first easy-to-fly fixed-wing drone that provides a fully immersive flight experience.

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The ultra-lightweight Parrot Disco is powerful, displays impressive airborne performances; it can reach top speeds of 80 km/h and offers 45 minutes of flight time. Unique by its design and performance capabilities, Parrot Disco offers everyone the possibility of an immersive flight without having any technical knowledge, and the possibility to record high quality aerial shots using the fixed-wing drone’s 32 GB memory. It can also be flown with complete precision thanks to a new and compact remote control – Parrot Skycontroller 2.

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Features:

  • Lightweight, compact, powerful; unique aerodynamic shape
  • Impressive performance and assisted piloting; automatic take-off and landing, assisted piloting
  • Parrot cockpitglasses: the immersive experience with a smartphone
  • Parrot Skycontroller 2; a new and XS-format Wi-Fi MIMO remote control, which offers a 2 kms theoretical reach
  • FreeFlight Pro: the application dedicated to Parrot Superdrones

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All of this will be available in September and the Parrot Disco, Skycontroller2, and the Parrot Cockpitglasses will go for $1699. Here’s a video of the Parrot Disco in action:

Summer Fun with Parrot Drones: 5 Safety Flying Tips

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 18, 2016 by itnerd

Drones are becoming more ubiquitous every day. They are changing the way we photograph our world, aiding in emergency situations and are simply great fun to play with. As the weather gets warmer, leading to more outdoor pursuits, Parrot, creator and developer of advanced technology wireless products for consumers, is offering safety and courtesy tips below for the upcoming Flying Season.

The following are a selection of some key safe-flying tips which will help you and your readers keep themselves and the people around them feel comfortable and safe.

Drone Etiquette:

  • STAY IN CONTROL OF YOUR DRONE: Fly during daylight and in good weather; don’t fly in rain, fog, strong wind or at night
  • DON’T FLY BLIND: When flying, always keep your aircraft in sight
  • RESPECT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU: It’s very important to respect the privacy of others; don’t approach or film people without their consent
  • COMMON SENSE SAFETY: Don’t fly close to airports, in populated/sensitive areas, powerlines,  near moving vehicles or over rail lines, highways;
  • DON’T EXCEED THE MAX ALITITUDE: In Canada that’s no higher than 90 metres

 

 

Parrot Declares “It’s Flying Season”

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 6, 2016 by itnerd

Just in time for summer, all casual flyers and families can enjoy extra savings thanks to $30-$100 off on all Parrot consumer drones from May 6 to July 4, 2016. As the leisure drone pioneer with the richest line of consumer-friendly drones, Parrot launches the first seasonal promotion dedicated to drones called “It’s Flying Season.”

From the Minidrones for the next generation of pilots to the Bebop, the portable ultra-compact and lightweight leisure drone equipped with a full HD camera, the entire range of Parrot consumer drones

Here’s some of the savings on offer:

  • $30 off all Minidrones (new generation; except Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo)
  • $50 off AR.Drone 2.0, Bebop, Bebop 2, ‘Bebop drone + Skycontroller’, Skycontroller
  • $100 off ‘Bebop2 + Skycontroller Black Edition’

These savings are available at participating Canadian retailers and online at www.parrot.com/shop.

 

Review: Parrot Bebop 2 Drone

Posted in Commentary with tags on April 12, 2016 by itnerd

Last year, I reviewed the Parrot Bebop drone along with the Skycontroller which allowed greater range and at the time, the combo at $1100 was kind of pricey. But it worked well. Parrot has gone back and improved on the original Bebop drone by bringing out the Parrot Bebop 2 drone:

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While it looks like the original Bebop drone, there are improvements. It delivers more than 20 minutes of flight time on a single charge (and unlike the Bebop, the battery locks into place rather than being held down by a velcro strap), boasts a 14-megapixel camera that can capture 1080p video, and is rated for a maximum range of 300 meters. You control it from your smartphone using the Free Flight 3 app available for Android or iOS and controlling it is extremely easy. It only takes a few minutes to figure out how to fly it. It has 8GB of non-expandable memory for photos and video which is where this drone shines. Video images were clear and stable as evidenced by this video of a bunch of fire trucks responding to an emergency at an apartment building near the field I was testing the drone in:

If I were to criticize something, it’s the fact that the 8GB of memory is non-expandable. Thus you can run out of space if you don’t download video frequently (which can be done via the Free Flight 3 app over WiFi or via connecting the drone to your computer via USB). But other than that, there are no complaints on the video front.

Now the Bebop 2 connects to your phone via WiFi, but the range is limited. Once it passed about 100 meters, the live video feed that was being broadcast back to my iPhone 6 began to get choppy and  would freeze up and pixelate. At 150 meters or more I frequently lost connection. If I walked to within 50 meters of the drone, I could sometimes reconnect. Most of the time it hovered in place for 60 seconds before rising to 30 meters and returning to the place where I launched it from. Thus this isn’t a fatal flaw as clearly Parrot has built in some safeguards to keep you from crashing the drone if you lose connection. Now, if you think about it, all those numbers are approaching the maximum range of WiFi transmissions which explains all of this. Thus if you want longer range, you need the Skycontroller which allows you to fly up to 2KM away.

So, what does the Parrot Bebop 2 drone go for? You can pick it up $549 in your choice of white or red, and it’s all you need if you’re getting started in the world or drones. If you want to really take advantage of what the Bebop 2 is capable of, I’d recommend getting the Skycontroller as well which is another $299 (down from $499 at the time of publishing this review). Either way, I think you’ll find it to be something that you’ll have a lot of fun with.

Review: Parrot Zik 3 Headphones

Posted in Commentary, Products with tags on February 6, 2016 by itnerd

I’m going to do something very different with this review and tell you what I think of the Parrot Zik 3 headphones right up front.

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They are simply outstanding. Here’s why.

First of all, they look and feel classy. Not a shock as they’re designed by famed designer Philippe Starck. The ones that I got were a tan leather that felt very soft both in my hands and on my ears (for the record, seven colors and textures are available). I could also smell the leather and the fit on my head was very light and comfortable. Second, these are noise cancelling headphones. Almost nothing gets through from the outside world. That was impressive.

The Zik 3 headphones have a capacitive panel on the right earpiece that allows you to control your music by swiping backwards and forward to skip tracks, up and down to change the volume, and tapping to play and pause. It does work, but in my testing I would sometimes accidentally stop the music when I adjusted the headsets on my head. Fortunately, you do have the option of using your Apple Watch or Android Wear device to control the Zik 3 headphones. Don’t have a smartwatch? No problem. There’s an app that you can download for your iOS or Android device that allows you to tweak the sound to your liking. And there’s a lot of options for you to tweak. Thus, if you’re a “control enthusiast”, you’re going to love that. Another cool feature, there’s “head detection” sensor. Music pauses automatically when you remove the headphones and resumes when they are back on.

Parrot bills the Zik 3 headphones as being completely wireless. What does that mean? You listen to music via Bluetooth connection (alternatively, you can use a headphone jack or USB port). Thanks to the replaceable battery, which I got 7 hours of wireless listening via Bluetooth. But here’s the other part of the wireless story. You can charge wirelessly as the Zik 3 headphones are compatible with most certified Qi inductive chargers.

But sound quality is where the Zik 3 headphones shine. At least when playing music. I played everything from Diplo to Miles Davis on them and found the sound to be outstanding. Every aspect of whatever I was listening to was reproduced perfectly. And as mentioned earlier, you can tweak it to make it perfect for you. You can also receive phone calls. The Zik 3 uses two dedicated microphones to reduce noise and it does so pretty well. Under my test, road noise was still audible but the speakers sounded clear enough. But voices can sound distant, probably due to the design and the distance between microphone and mouth. When you have an incoming call, the “Text-To-Speech” synthesis system announces the name of whomever is calling if they’re in your address book.

So, what do the Parrot Zik 3 headphones cost? They’re $399 US. Not cheap. But quality audio is never cheap. If you demand quality audio, you need to listen to the Parrot Zik 3 headphones. They’re simply the most outstanding headphones I’ve ever reviewed.

Parrot Announces New Products At CES

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 6, 2016 by itnerd

Parrot has announced a number of new products at CES. They are:

Parrot DiscoA flying wing to soar  with the birds. Poetry and technological power are gathered on an ultralight wing-shaped drone allowing immersive flights thanks to its integrated front camera.

Parrot Bebop 2The ultralight (500g) “all-in-one” drone with integrated full-HD wide angle camera and the autonomy of 25 minute flight time.

Parrot PotA smart pot for plants – a gardener robot that measures the parameters critical to plant’s growth while managing watering autonomously.  This is tied to Flower Power 2.0 – an entirely redesigned application with a library of more than 8,000 plants.

Plus, for gear heads, there’s these two items:

Parrot Simple Box: This car receiver is deeply linked to your smartphone for an optimal and consistent experience.

Smart Antenna: The multiradio tuner powered by Ethernet simplifies infotainment in your car.

Expect to see them in stores this year.