Gulf News takes the new Parrot AR.Drone 2 flying quadricopter for a test flight to see how this new airborne HD video system, controlled wirelessly by tablet or smartphone, performs. Read the Gulf News review here: http://gulfnews.com/business/technology/a-high-flying-hobby-for-drone-buffs-1.1027755. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00Parrot's AR Drone 2 is a flying quadcopter that can be controlled via Wi-Fi using a smartphone
00:16or tablet.
00:17The product is sold as a hobby product or a toy, but the live video capture tool makes
00:21it more important than that.
00:23You need to download FreeFlight app onto an Apple or an Android platform.
00:27The drone creates its own Wi-Fi signal, enabling the control through a smartphone or tablet.
00:33You won't need any additional network connection and can control a range of up to 50 meters
00:38or within the Wi-Fi range.
00:39It has got four blades and the whole body is made of high-end plastic.
00:43One advantage is all the parts are freely available online and you can assemble it yourself.
00:48It has got two cameras, one on the front of the drone.
00:52With its high-definition camera, the pilot can take photos or record videos and easily
00:57share them through YouTube or Picasa.
00:59It also has a USB 2 port for recording onto a USB key and later you can transfer files
01:05onto a website or to your computer.
01:07The vertical camera, which is placed beneath the drone, measures the craft's speed using
01:12an image comparison system.
01:14These two are the ultrasound sensors for ground altitude measurement.
01:18Better location and orientation sensors make the quadrocopter more stable in the air and
01:24a new pressure sensor will help it hold its altitude more accurately when it is more than
01:29a few feet off the ground.
01:31It runs on 1 GHz 32-bit ARM Cortex A8 processor.
01:36It works by pairing the iPad to the drone via a Wi-Fi signal.
01:41If you are flying outdoors, you need to do some adjustments in the settings.
01:44You can adjust the settings in the application to reduce or increase the speed, tilt the
01:49drone's tilt angle, reduce and increase the speed, and flip it.
01:52For gaming purposes, this camera can also recognize specific shapes and colors to show
01:58augmented reality elements on the device's screen.
02:01Right now, this feature is available only on Apple platform and not on Android.
02:06The drone comes with a protective foam hull around the propellers for indoors and an outdoor
02:11hull for maximum maneuverability.
02:13The drone has two hulls with specially designed contours, one for indoors and one for outdoors.
02:18For outdoor flight, the contoured hull, available in three colors, reduces wind resistance and
02:24preserves the drone 2's handling and stability.
02:26The device can fly for approximately 12 to 15 minutes with full charge and can reach
02:32a top speed of 18 kmph.
02:43For more information, visit www.Flydreamers.com