Video: Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Available in May for $299, We Fly It Off a Roof

First shown off at CES 2012, Parrot has announced that its AR.Drone 2.0 will finally be available in May for $299, and come with a few new features, too. The front camera now has a resolution of 1280 x 720, and can record to an on-board SD card or USB stick, or directly to the Android or iOS device controlling the drone. The drone will come with two hulls, a slim one (pictured above) for outdoor use, and one with foam bumpers to protect the rotors for indoor use.

Get all the details below and check out our hands-on video flying the AR.Drone 2.0 right off our New York office roof!New controls include a Flip feature, which causes the drone to do a barrel roll or a loop in the air. In Absolute Control mode, the user doesn’t have to worry about the orientation of the drone as it relates to the controls. This means that regardless of the direction the drone is pointed, if you want it to turn left relative to your position, it will turn left. 

We took the AR.Drone 2.0 up to the roof of our building and flew it around, and got some neat footage from the drone itself flying above the streets of Manhattan. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to reviewing it. 

As mentioned, the Parrot AR.Drone will be available in May for $299, but pre-orders can be placed through Brookstone starting March 1.