A Brief History of Parrot Products
Today we will talk about the French company Parrot CA, which gave the world a lot of wireless technologies. It was founded in 1994 by Cristina / M de Turvel, Jean-Pierre Talward and Henri Seydoux. But for some reason now, on the official website of the company, the founder mentions exclusively Henri Seydoux. The name of the company was not given by chance - Parrot translates as “parrot”, this is justified by the fact that voice recognition technologies are and are the main specialization of the company. They also specialize in signal processing of embedded products and in the relatively recently opened direction of creating flying drones.
The very first of the popular devices manufactured by the company is Parrot Voicemate, designed specifically for blind and visually impaired people. It allowed you to store and play important information using voice (such as phone numbers, addresses, etc.) in the format of voice recordings.
The device had a recording duration of up to 40 minutes, perfectly recognized voice. Knew 11 languages: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish and Norwegian.
The device provided high quality voice recognition, all functions were stated orally by the user: a memo for periodic and recurring events, a talking foreign currency calculator, a voice prompt for every keystroke, plus it had synchronization with a PC to save data and update software via the Internet. In addition, thanks to a personal identification number, it restricted access to strangers.
One of the first to purchase this product was the blind American soul singer and composer Stevie Wonder.
The release of this device was discontinued in 2006, but the maintenance of existing devices is still ongoing.
Parrot, together with Ericsson, is launching a Bluetooth hands-free car kit, thereby gaining recognition from motorists around the world due to its ease of use and quality of voice recognition. Subsequently, Parrot released several more hands-free models that differ in design, functionality and price.
The company continues to improve in the production of Bluetooth wireless technology. On September 30, at the l'Auto international exhibition in Paris, Parrot will present the Parrot MK6000 with a Parrot P5 (32 bits) processor with a frequency of 208 MHz, 60 MB RAM and 128 MB internal memory. The main difference from previous models was the use of the special Parrot Beamforming signal processing technology using two paired microphones. Thanks to this, the device recognized voice much better, suppressing surrounding noise.
And with the use of TTS (text to speech) technology, the MK6000 could pronounce the names of contacts from the list by text without prior voice recording.
In the same year, the Parrot campaign set about developing products for home use, such as digital photo frames, for example. They allowed you to show and sort all photo albums from your phone via Bluetooth or via a cord from a PC. The company also began developing wireless Wi-Fi speakers.
In 2008, Parrot launched a special line of products, for the design of which they invited such eminent designers as Andre Putman, Martin Shekeli and Philippe Starck.
Interior designer Andre Putman specifically for Parrot took up the development of a line of digital photo frames. And on August 6, 2008, her first creation was presented to the world: a digital photo frame with a diagonal of 7 inches and a screen resolution of 720 by 480 pixels, equipped with auto-rotate picture, with built-in memory of 10 MB (up to 400 photos) and support for TS-card. The device supported connecting to your smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. But, the truth, and the price tag for it was great ($ 400), as for a designer thing.
Martin Shekeli presented his version of the Parrot Specchio digital photo frame, which, when turned off, was an ordinary 10-inch mirror. The frame, like its predecessors, connected to the smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The photo frame was running on the Android system and had an Internet connection, so that you could view news and much more from the Internet. The price tag for such a device was $ 500 on pre-order.
Philip Stark gave the world wireless speakers called Zikmu. The speakers looked minimalistic, but at the same time attractive to the eye. Stark equipped them with a docking station for iPod and iPhone, thereby turning them into a full-fledged stereo system. It was also possible to stream from a computer or MacBook via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with A2DP.
The height of the speakers is 72 centimeters, and their design and structure allows you to get surround sound and broadcast it in a radius of 360 degrees. The cost, of course, for such a designer creation was rather big - $ 1,500 on pre-order.
In January, at the international Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas), Parrot introduced the AR.Drone quadcopter with Wi-Fi control via smartphone. The rich technical equipment, open API and low cost have made AR.Drone one of the most popular UAV platforms. This new product aroused great interest and was recognized as the best entertainment gadget at that time.
Parts of the quadrocopter were made of nylon and hydrocarbon fiber, which gave the drone light weight. Its diagonal was 57 cm; the blade protection was made of EPP foam. There were also several built-in on-board sensors to improve flight, such as an ultrasonic altimeter, which is used to stabilize vertically when climbing up to 6 m. The battery included in the kit, with a power of 11.1 Volts, is designed for 12 minutes of continuous flight. The drone could reach speeds of up to 5 m / s.
The developers equipped the quadrocopter with a camera that recognized and tracked objects, allowing you to use the device in games with augmented reality.
At the next Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas), the heir of the famous AR.Drone 2.0 * copter was presented . The developers did not create a new quadrocopter, but improved the functionality and equipment of an existing drone.
The quality of the camera was increased to 720p, and many sensors became more sensitive, which gave a significant improvement in flight control. The manufacturer added a barometer, for greater accuracy in determining the height.
In the same year, Parrot bought two Swiss companies specializing in drones: SenseFly and Pix4D.
At CES 2013, new additions to the AR.Drone 2.0 Elite Edition * were presented . The manufacturer added 4 GB of internal memory, GPS tracking and recording flight data. This allowed the pilots to determine the flight path and choose the points at which the copter will lay its route. In addition, the flight recording has become possible to edit using a mobile phone and desktop applications, in the "Director Mode". Plus, in the new version, the battery charge was increased, which automatically increased the flight duration with the camera on by up to 50%.
The Parrot campaign has come to grips with the further development of drone variations and introduced the Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo to the world at CES 2014 in Las Vegas.
Demonstration at CES 2014:
Devices are controlled from a smartphone or tablet by connecting via Wi-Fi. The features of the models were as follows:
Rolling Spider * could both fly, not inferior in response and flight accuracy to professional drones, and ride on the surface, for this two ultra-light plastic wheels were attached to its sides.
No less interesting was the Jumping Sumo, in which a camera was built for first-person control. The picture was displayed in the background in the drone control program on a smartphone or tablet.
Jumping Sumo *has two rubberized wheels on the sides, which gives it high mobility in turns and turns. Moreover, the use of the word “Jumping” in the name was not just like that: when the obstacle was seen, the drone could jump or jump onto it thanks to the spring mechanism located at the back (jump height up to 80 cm). Also, the model was equipped with a gyroscope, which helps the drone to always land on wheels.
Using the freeflight 3 application, you can plan your drone’s movement route with acrobatic numbers.
In May 2014, at the annual conference of the International Association of Unmanned Vehicles (AUVSI) in Orlando, Parrot announced the third version of the AR Drone, code-named Bebop.
The main difference between Bebop Drone 2.0 and AR.Drone 2.0, in addition to appearance, is a new camera with a fisheye lens, f2.2 aperture, 14-megapixel sensor and a viewing angle of 180 degrees. Unlike its predecessor, recording is in HullHD (1080p).
Unfortunately, a big miscalculation of the developers turned out to be 8 GB of internal memory, which is very small for recording high-resolution video, storing photos with a resolution of 4096x3072 pixels. It would seem fixable by installing external memory, but, alas, there was no slot for an SD card.
Due to their small dimensions (28x32x3.6 cm), the developers were not able to put a large battery and put a lithium capacity of 1200 mAh, which gave only 11 minutes of flight time with the camera turned on.
As an additional option, it was proposed to purchase a proprietary Skycontroller remote control with a control range of up to 2 km.
Bebop Drone has an integrated GNSS chipset equipped with GPS, Glonass and Galileo. This equipment allows you to set the route for the drone before the flight, and help the drone to return to its original point on its own. It is controlled by Bebop from a smartphone or tablet using the FreeFlight 3 application running on gadgets with Android and IOS.
2015
In January, the Parrot POT smart flower pot was introduced at CES. It always maintains the desired soil moisture, which allows you to forget about caring for the plant for at least a month. You can monitor the condition of the flower and manage the care of it thanks to a special application for iOS and Android, in the “care” catalog of which there are more than 8000 different types of plants.
At the same conference in Las Vegas, the famous Parrot Zik Sport stereo headphones were presented, intended for use during sports. They are equipped with adaptive noise reduction, which suppresses the sound depending on the environment (noisy, quiet).
In addition, the device has the ability to measure your remote control using a biometric sensor located in the ear, and display data in a special application. It can also see the number of steps, distance traveled, external noise level, etc.
And in November 2015, the world saw an improved Bebop 3.0 * , it took into account all the shortcomings of the previous model. The battery was replaced by a more powerful 2700 mAh, which increased the flight time to 25 minutes. The broadcast range was increased to 300 meters, and the flight range to 2 km.
A screw protection system was added, which fixed them in contact with an obstacle, thereby preventing breakage.
Even the lens has been replaced, providing high definition in low light, but, alas, developers still think that 8 GB of internal memory on board is enough.
At CES 2016, the campaign continued to develop its line of drones and presented Parrot Disco. This is an exciting project: a fast, smart, ultra-light drone with a flight duration of about 45 minutes.
The drone is equipped with all modern sensors for convenient and easy piloting. There is a 3-axis digital stabilizer bebop camera.
The manufacturer claims that even a novice can handle this model, since a computer will always come to his aid. So the pilot can not be afraid to risk breaking or breaking Disco thanks to the completely innovative airborne navigation system. There is also an autopilot on board that will always return the drone back and gently land it on the ground.
Parrot Disco will go on sale later this year.
The Parrot campaign is one of the leading companies in the field of drone building, and we hope that soon it will be able to surprise us again.
That's all, with you there was a simple service for choosing complex Dronk.Ru equipment . Do not forget to subscribe to our blog , there will be many more interesting things. PS
* - links marked with a referral asterisk, so you can save extra by returning a cashback. Read more at Dronk.ru/cashback/ or you can get up to 30% for any purchases by purchasing them through the LetyShops cashback service .
1995 year
The very first of the popular devices manufactured by the company is Parrot Voicemate, designed specifically for blind and visually impaired people. It allowed you to store and play important information using voice (such as phone numbers, addresses, etc.) in the format of voice recordings.
The device had a recording duration of up to 40 minutes, perfectly recognized voice. Knew 11 languages: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish and Norwegian.
The device provided high quality voice recognition, all functions were stated orally by the user: a memo for periodic and recurring events, a talking foreign currency calculator, a voice prompt for every keystroke, plus it had synchronization with a PC to save data and update software via the Internet. In addition, thanks to a personal identification number, it restricted access to strangers.
One of the first to purchase this product was the blind American soul singer and composer Stevie Wonder.
The release of this device was discontinued in 2006, but the maintenance of existing devices is still ongoing.
year 2000
Parrot, together with Ericsson, is launching a Bluetooth hands-free car kit, thereby gaining recognition from motorists around the world due to its ease of use and quality of voice recognition. Subsequently, Parrot released several more hands-free models that differ in design, functionality and price.
2006 year
The company continues to improve in the production of Bluetooth wireless technology. On September 30, at the l'Auto international exhibition in Paris, Parrot will present the Parrot MK6000 with a Parrot P5 (32 bits) processor with a frequency of 208 MHz, 60 MB RAM and 128 MB internal memory. The main difference from previous models was the use of the special Parrot Beamforming signal processing technology using two paired microphones. Thanks to this, the device recognized voice much better, suppressing surrounding noise.
And with the use of TTS (text to speech) technology, the MK6000 could pronounce the names of contacts from the list by text without prior voice recording.
In the same year, the Parrot campaign set about developing products for home use, such as digital photo frames, for example. They allowed you to show and sort all photo albums from your phone via Bluetooth or via a cord from a PC. The company also began developing wireless Wi-Fi speakers.
2008 year
In 2008, Parrot launched a special line of products, for the design of which they invited such eminent designers as Andre Putman, Martin Shekeli and Philippe Starck.
Interior designer Andre Putman specifically for Parrot took up the development of a line of digital photo frames. And on August 6, 2008, her first creation was presented to the world: a digital photo frame with a diagonal of 7 inches and a screen resolution of 720 by 480 pixels, equipped with auto-rotate picture, with built-in memory of 10 MB (up to 400 photos) and support for TS-card. The device supported connecting to your smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. But, the truth, and the price tag for it was great ($ 400), as for a designer thing.
Martin Shekeli presented his version of the Parrot Specchio digital photo frame, which, when turned off, was an ordinary 10-inch mirror. The frame, like its predecessors, connected to the smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The photo frame was running on the Android system and had an Internet connection, so that you could view news and much more from the Internet. The price tag for such a device was $ 500 on pre-order.
Philip Stark gave the world wireless speakers called Zikmu. The speakers looked minimalistic, but at the same time attractive to the eye. Stark equipped them with a docking station for iPod and iPhone, thereby turning them into a full-fledged stereo system. It was also possible to stream from a computer or MacBook via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with A2DP.
The height of the speakers is 72 centimeters, and their design and structure allows you to get surround sound and broadcast it in a radius of 360 degrees. The cost, of course, for such a designer creation was rather big - $ 1,500 on pre-order.
2010 year
In January, at the international Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas), Parrot introduced the AR.Drone quadcopter with Wi-Fi control via smartphone. The rich technical equipment, open API and low cost have made AR.Drone one of the most popular UAV platforms. This new product aroused great interest and was recognized as the best entertainment gadget at that time.
Parts of the quadrocopter were made of nylon and hydrocarbon fiber, which gave the drone light weight. Its diagonal was 57 cm; the blade protection was made of EPP foam. There were also several built-in on-board sensors to improve flight, such as an ultrasonic altimeter, which is used to stabilize vertically when climbing up to 6 m. The battery included in the kit, with a power of 11.1 Volts, is designed for 12 minutes of continuous flight. The drone could reach speeds of up to 5 m / s.
The developers equipped the quadrocopter with a camera that recognized and tracked objects, allowing you to use the device in games with augmented reality.
year 2012
At the next Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas), the heir of the famous AR.Drone 2.0 * copter was presented . The developers did not create a new quadrocopter, but improved the functionality and equipment of an existing drone.
The quality of the camera was increased to 720p, and many sensors became more sensitive, which gave a significant improvement in flight control. The manufacturer added a barometer, for greater accuracy in determining the height.
In the same year, Parrot bought two Swiss companies specializing in drones: SenseFly and Pix4D.
2013
At CES 2013, new additions to the AR.Drone 2.0 Elite Edition * were presented . The manufacturer added 4 GB of internal memory, GPS tracking and recording flight data. This allowed the pilots to determine the flight path and choose the points at which the copter will lay its route. In addition, the flight recording has become possible to edit using a mobile phone and desktop applications, in the "Director Mode". Plus, in the new version, the battery charge was increased, which automatically increased the flight duration with the camera on by up to 50%.
2014 year
The Parrot campaign has come to grips with the further development of drone variations and introduced the Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo to the world at CES 2014 in Las Vegas.
Demonstration at CES 2014:
Devices are controlled from a smartphone or tablet by connecting via Wi-Fi. The features of the models were as follows:
Rolling Spider * could both fly, not inferior in response and flight accuracy to professional drones, and ride on the surface, for this two ultra-light plastic wheels were attached to its sides.
No less interesting was the Jumping Sumo, in which a camera was built for first-person control. The picture was displayed in the background in the drone control program on a smartphone or tablet.
Jumping Sumo *has two rubberized wheels on the sides, which gives it high mobility in turns and turns. Moreover, the use of the word “Jumping” in the name was not just like that: when the obstacle was seen, the drone could jump or jump onto it thanks to the spring mechanism located at the back (jump height up to 80 cm). Also, the model was equipped with a gyroscope, which helps the drone to always land on wheels.
Using the freeflight 3 application, you can plan your drone’s movement route with acrobatic numbers.
In the press (eng.):
“The Minidrone, made by the makers of the AR.Drone, is a lightweight, superstable, small, and incredibly fun flying machine.”
Popular Mechanics
“Ahead of CES, French electronics maker Parrot has presented two futuristic spy gadgets that are bound to create a sensation in Las Vegas.”
Yahoo News
“Parrot's AR Drone 2.0 has been one of the most popular hobbyist drone models ever created. Now, at CES Unveiled, the company expanded its reach and came out with miniature toy versions: the MiniDrone and the Jumping Sumo. ”
Popular Mechanics
“Ahead of CES, French electronics maker Parrot has presented two futuristic spy gadgets that are bound to create a sensation in Las Vegas.”
Yahoo News
“Parrot's AR Drone 2.0 has been one of the most popular hobbyist drone models ever created. Now, at CES Unveiled, the company expanded its reach and came out with miniature toy versions: the MiniDrone and the Jumping Sumo. ”
In May 2014, at the annual conference of the International Association of Unmanned Vehicles (AUVSI) in Orlando, Parrot announced the third version of the AR Drone, code-named Bebop.
The main difference between Bebop Drone 2.0 and AR.Drone 2.0, in addition to appearance, is a new camera with a fisheye lens, f2.2 aperture, 14-megapixel sensor and a viewing angle of 180 degrees. Unlike its predecessor, recording is in HullHD (1080p).
Unfortunately, a big miscalculation of the developers turned out to be 8 GB of internal memory, which is very small for recording high-resolution video, storing photos with a resolution of 4096x3072 pixels. It would seem fixable by installing external memory, but, alas, there was no slot for an SD card.
Due to their small dimensions (28x32x3.6 cm), the developers were not able to put a large battery and put a lithium capacity of 1200 mAh, which gave only 11 minutes of flight time with the camera turned on.
As an additional option, it was proposed to purchase a proprietary Skycontroller remote control with a control range of up to 2 km.
Bebop Drone has an integrated GNSS chipset equipped with GPS, Glonass and Galileo. This equipment allows you to set the route for the drone before the flight, and help the drone to return to its original point on its own. It is controlled by Bebop from a smartphone or tablet using the FreeFlight 3 application running on gadgets with Android and IOS.
2015
In January, the Parrot POT smart flower pot was introduced at CES. It always maintains the desired soil moisture, which allows you to forget about caring for the plant for at least a month. You can monitor the condition of the flower and manage the care of it thanks to a special application for iOS and Android, in the “care” catalog of which there are more than 8000 different types of plants.
At the same conference in Las Vegas, the famous Parrot Zik Sport stereo headphones were presented, intended for use during sports. They are equipped with adaptive noise reduction, which suppresses the sound depending on the environment (noisy, quiet).
In addition, the device has the ability to measure your remote control using a biometric sensor located in the ear, and display data in a special application. It can also see the number of steps, distance traveled, external noise level, etc.
And in November 2015, the world saw an improved Bebop 3.0 * , it took into account all the shortcomings of the previous model. The battery was replaced by a more powerful 2700 mAh, which increased the flight time to 25 minutes. The broadcast range was increased to 300 meters, and the flight range to 2 km.
A screw protection system was added, which fixed them in contact with an obstacle, thereby preventing breakage.
Even the lens has been replaced, providing high definition in low light, but, alas, developers still think that 8 GB of internal memory on board is enough.
2016 year
At CES 2016, the campaign continued to develop its line of drones and presented Parrot Disco. This is an exciting project: a fast, smart, ultra-light drone with a flight duration of about 45 minutes.
The drone is equipped with all modern sensors for convenient and easy piloting. There is a 3-axis digital stabilizer bebop camera.
The manufacturer claims that even a novice can handle this model, since a computer will always come to his aid. So the pilot can not be afraid to risk breaking or breaking Disco thanks to the completely innovative airborne navigation system. There is also an autopilot on board that will always return the drone back and gently land it on the ground.
Parrot Disco will go on sale later this year.
The Parrot campaign is one of the leading companies in the field of drone building, and we hope that soon it will be able to surprise us again.
That's all, with you there was a simple service for choosing complex Dronk.Ru equipment . Do not forget to subscribe to our blog , there will be many more interesting things. PS
* - links marked with a referral asterisk, so you can save extra by returning a cashback. Read more at Dronk.ru/cashback/ or you can get up to 30% for any purchases by purchasing them through the LetyShops cashback service .
