iPhone-controlled helicopters wow CES visitors!

Paul Nesbitt

Visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas were wowed by the appearance of hovering toy helicopters remotely controlled by iPhones.

The Parrot helicopters, called AR.Drones, were guided by WiFi signals, and their onboard cameras relayed streaming video, from the viewpoint of the drone, back to the iPhone (or iPod touch) screen.

At the CES demo, Parrot software on the iPhones combined gaming elements with the real time video feed to create a unique augmented reality gaming experience.

AR.Drones are controlled by tilting the iPhone, whose built accelerometer relays 3D flight co-ordinates back to the Parrot Drone.

Parrot said it will ship the exciting new toy, which it bills as the 'first helicopter with automatic flight stabilisation' later this year.

The iPhone controlled drones are also certain to attract the attention of various armed forces around the world. The US already employs drones for operations around the world, and there have already been several iPhone apps developed for combat zones.

PC World shot some video of the AR.Drones at CES.