Parrot has announced two new products in its line of smartphone-controlled drones. The Rolling Spider is a smaller, cheaper version of the company's flying AR Drone, and the Jumping Sumo is a ground vehicle capable of launching itself into the air.
Parrot is calling the new models MiniDrones. Both are far smaller than the other drones, measuring less than six inches in diameter as compared to about 20 inches for the AR Drone. They are also marked less expensive. The AR Drone retails for about $300, whereas the Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo will be priced at $100 and $160, respectively.
The Rolling Spider is a quadcopter that connects to a smartphone or table through bluetooth. It can fly over 30 feet above the ground, and has a battery life of about 8 minutes. The MiniDrone has a pair of large removable wheels that can be used to drive on the ground, up walls, and even on the ceiling, as seen in the official video. The wheels can also be used to protect the Rolling Spider in collisions. Although the quadcopter lacks the video camera and GPS navigation capabilities of its larger cousin, it does have the ability to snap photos of the ground using a camera on the bottom.
The Jumping Sumo represents a new area for Parrot, which until now has focused on flying drones. It has two large wheels that can be extended for stability or retracted to fit into tighter spaces. The vehicle maintains its orientation with a tail that slides along the ground in the rear. The tail can also be used to launch the Jumping Sumo into the air up to a height of 2.5 feet, as seen in the video. The vehicle is controlled by smartphone or tablet over Wi-Fi, and can stream video from its wide angle camera to the device. Video can also be recorded by connecting a storage device to the Jumping Sumo through a micro USB port. The vehicle's battery lasts for about 20 minutes of continuous operation. The companion app can also be used to set a series of commands which the Jumping Sumo will execute in order.
The two MicroDrones are recommended for ages 14 and up, and will hit store shelves in August. The drones will be available through Apple, Bust Buy, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.
