The AR Drone is a fairly large device, with a tough Styrofoam body (covered by a hard outer shell) that is carried aloft by four powerful rotors. It kicks up a hell of a racket doing so, but the noise is just part of the fun. The four rotor system sets it apart from remote controlled helicopters because the user doesn’t have to worry about trim. Thanks to the four rotors and a built in altitude sensing system, the Drone flies steadily and beautifully.

Here’s the real treat though; it’s controlled by a smart phone. Using either an iPhone or an Android device with downloaded software, the user can pilot the Drone by tilting their handset in desired directions. Also, the Drone has a front mounted camera that transmits images back to the handset’s screen. You’re not going to be able to effectively navigate that way, no matter what the makers claim, but it adds a fun dogfighting game element to the device, when two are close together. And it’s cool.

The Drone does not come without its problems, though. It uses a WiFi connection (we’re mystified as to why the makers didn’t go with Bluetooth, which would have been much better) which can drop in areas of interference. If the signal drops, the Drone goes into a sort of safety holding pattern, hovering above the ground. Re-establishing connection may give difficulties, in which case you pretty much have to wait for the rechargeable battery to run out, forcing the Drone to perform an emergency landing procedure.

Another issue is wind. Even seemingly slight winds can carry the Drone off, prompting the user to perform a quick landing to avoid it leaving the 50 meter range of the WiFi signal. Once again, once it is out of range, the same holding pattern behaviour occurs… but a breeze will carry it away.

The Drone can also be flown indoors, as it has a special protective housing included in the box, which shields the rotors on their sides. When all is said and done, the AR Drone is a rather expensive toy. It has no function beyond fun. Yet, despite its cost and niggles, it is just about the most fun you can have without breaking numerous laws. We loved playing with the AR Drone, and anyone remotely (aha, a pun) interested in remote control flying should give it serious consideration. It’s a reason to buy a compatible phone!

Verdict:

The most fun you can have without breaking a ton of laws.

PROS:

• Awesome fun
• Easy to fly
• Did I mention fun?
• Great support

CONS:

• WiFi connection
• Pricey
• Wind issues

Buy it here

Many online shops and retailers sell the Parrot AR Drone.

You need Shockwave in order to view the page. Enjoy the show :)

Update: The page the app was running on is still available, the Shockwave app on the other hand is no longer embedded on the page. As a consequence, the link to the site has been removed from this article.

Update 2: The application is available again. Head over to the website to fly through the sky. You will see clouds and the sky once it loads.

Use your mouse to increase or decrease the flying speed, to change direction or to fly backwards. Everything is handled with the left mouse button and the mouse.

You can fly into a specific direction by moving the mouse cursor into that direction. You change the flying speed with a click on the mouse button. Once you click and hold down, you will see a bar that is either green (forward) or red (backwards).

While it may be soothing for a moment to fly through the sky in a web browser, you will notice that the landscape is repetitive and that you cannot do anything else besides changing speed and direction. There is also no way to change the perspective’s altitude, for instance by diving into the clouds. The perspective is always the same.