iPhone Gets Real Remote Chopper

Google gets the Android-based Nexus One phone at CES. iPhone users get a remote controlled, real life chopper.

This could very well be the coolest thing ever on the iPhone. Revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, French company Parrot has developed the AR Drone – a combination of real, remote-controlled helicopters and the augmented reality capabilities of Apple's smartphone.

Players control a hovering, UFO-looking drone using the WiFi features of the iPhone, using the accelerometer to change the direction and speed of the craft by tilting the Apple device. The AR Drone comes equipped with two miniature video cameras, which send pictures back to the iPhone.

The best thing about this, is that it's not just a modern method of whizzing toy helicopters around in the park, but a fully-fledged computer game too. The video that you see on your iPhone not only displays what the AR Drone's camera is seeing, but also imaginary monsters or fighter planes that appear from trees or under tables.

AR Drone has been met with great delight by attendees such as the Telegraph, which calls it “the most sophisticated use of augmented reality in a video game so far.”

Three different games have been developed for the Drone, but the French company said any developer can work on compatible programs for the gadget. Parrot has a website that details the AR Drone in full - it's expected to hit retail in the Summer and will cost you around £320, so you should be prepared to use it a lot.