Parrot Unveils Impressive New MiniDrone Quadcopter At CES 2014
Parrot, the folks behind the popular AR.Drone, are showing off a new addition to the iOS app-powered quadcopter product line at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) called “MiniDrone.” This new device is much smaller than its larger predecessor, and as such it’s ditched its camera. But added on to the small-size quadcopter is a pair of plastic wheels, which allow MiniDrone to roll upon the floor or along a ceiling.
TechCrunch was able to go hands-on with the new MiniDrone, and explained in a recent article: “The MiniDrone is remarkably small, coming in at about a tenth of the size of the full version, which makes it incredibly portable. You could actually slip one in your pocket without much issue if you really wanted to.”
Though the MiniDrone indeed features no camera, the super-small quadcopter comes with a pair of plastic wheels bolted onto either side. These allow it “to roll around the ground – or go acrobatic and run along the wall or the ceiling,” the publication adds.
But there’s more, because besides announcing a new product for the air, Parrot has also unveiled a new product for the ground called the Sumo. TechCrunch continues:
The Sumo is a two-wheeled ground-only unit that does have a camera, just like the big AR Drone, and has a foot built in that allows it to stop pretty much instantly, and to leap up in the air up to 80cm. It’s a bit more rugged in keeping with its rough-and-tumble lifestyle, too, and reminds me a bit of the Sphero 2B that company just unveiled.
More official specifications for both products unfortunately aren’t available, since Parrot is still in the process of finalizing both the MiniDrone and the Sumo. But the company has confirmed that each one is coming “soon,” and as such we’re expecting to see both hit store shelves in the next six months or so.
How do you like the look of Parrot’s new products?
As a reminder, more of today’s CES-related product announcements include Griffin’s StudioConnect HD, SteelSeries’ wireless iOS 7 game controller, and Belkin’s new line of WeMo-connected devices. We’ll have more information from CES 2014 soon.
In the meantime, see: Griffin Updates StudioConnect, Adds Multi-Tracking And A New Form Factor, Google Paves The Way For Android In The Car With Open Automotive Alliance, and Game On: SteelSeries Announces 1st Wireless Game Controller Made For iOS 7.
