A Paris-based company has showcased a small drone mounted with a camera, which can be controlled from smartphones or tablets.
Bebop Drone, as the flying object has been dubbed, was unveiled by the wireless technology company Parrot in San Francisco on Sunday.
The device is meant to provide smartphone and tablet owners with an aerial view of what they want to shoot or video.
Parrot founder and chief Henri Seydoux said, "The experience is like being a bird, an insect." "You fly through the device and see the same thing as if you were a bird."
Parrot plans to release the drone in the fourth quarter of the year.
The Bebop also offers a range-boosting Skycontroller, which holds the tablet and acts as a Wi-Fi relay.
“We worked very hard on the safety of the drone,” Seydoux said. “It’s smaller, lighter, and it won’t hurt you if you touch the propeller.”
“This is a flying camera,” Seydoux said. “You can use it to make movies.”
The drones can also synch to Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets, letting wearers essentially look around by moving their heads as though they are actually flying.
HN/HN