Parrot’s MiniDrone

January 13, 2014

The new Parrot MiniDrone is a miniaturized version of the AR.Drone quadcopter, at about a tenth the size.

An optical flow camera, sonar rangefinder, and computer allows it to sense how high it is off of the ground, and using optical flow, sense its own motion relative to the ground. This, with the assistance of a barometer, accelerometer, and gyro, enables the MiniDrone to self-stabilize.

It comes with clip-on wheels that allow it to drive along the ground using thrust from the props. They also prevent the drone from crashing into most things.