$300 quadrocopter: your iPhone is a remote control

The Parrot AR.Drone is a $300 toy. That's a lot of money to drop on something you'll fly around your home or at the park. After playing with the hardware, however, that price is more than acceptable: there is a whole lot of technology crammed into that lightweight frame. This is a quadrocopter with two cameras, an onboard computer running Linux, and the ability to play virtual games with real-world hardware. If you're into flying toys, playing with software, or simply finding new and novel uses for your iPhone, you'll find something to love here. Plus, this is a very effective platform for instilling terror and respect into your cats or small children. The value of such things cannot be overstated.


Yes, $300 is expensive, but you get more than what you pay for. The AR.Drone is fun to fly, easy to fix and keep going, and hardy enough that you can open it up and really do some neat things without fear of losing your investment. If the software community embraces it, there will no end to the fun things it can do, but for now we had a great time simply enjoying the way it flew.