iPhone-controlled AR.Drone is looking like the summer's must have gadget

For any self respecting gadgeteer, Parrot's AR.Drone - or iPhone-controlled wi-fi quadricopter - is looking like a must have.

Despite the hefty price tag (a democratic $299, €299 or £299), and the requirement to already have an iPhone or iPod touch - at least the control app is free - the drone's going to be a lot of fun when it's released.

It's due 18 August in the UK, September in the US, with Europe and Asia TBA.

Available in a stripped down outdoors mode, and with a futuristic EPA shrouded hull for indoor use (see above), it's an amazing bit of kit that's been beautifully designed by Parrot.

The drone generates a wi-fi network so you can control it within a range of about 50 meters. It's also got a bunch of automatic controls, ranging from an auto stabilised hover if it's not receiving any inputs, to an emergency shut off, which brings it immediately to ground.

You can press a button to get it to automatically take off and hover, at around one meter off the ground too.

The fun stuff includes the nose-mounted VGA video camera. There's also a ground-facing camera, which is used for the stabilisation, but with the main video feed streamed to your iPhone (from where you can hook it up to your plasma if you want), there are plenty of entertaining opportunities.

Asides from spying on people, augmented reality gaming is one area that Parrot is hoping will take off: after all, it is called the AR.Drone.

For this reason, the company has released the source code of the piloting software for developers who want to develop games using it.

To show them how it's done, Parrot is working on an AR.Flying Ace demo that will enable two AR.Drones to dogfight. This works thanks to special decals that will ship with the drones, which you stick to the outside of the hulls so they can be recognised.

Another example is AR.Drone Gate, in which you have to destroy an virtual alien space ship.

You can find out more details from the AR.Drone website, or check out these mini-games (registration required) to see if you're good enough to win a drone.

Alternatively, here's a video of it in operation from the E3 launch.

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