Parrot unveils advanced, Oculus Rift compatible drone

Parrot has unveiled its most advanced drone yet. The Bebop is tricked out with an HD video camera, built-in GPS, an array of image-stabilizing sensors and Oculus Rift compatibility. The Bebop’s camera uses a 14-megapixel fisheye camera that records in full HD. The recorded video can be viewed in real-time on a smartphone or tablet, which is used to control the drone with an iOS or Android app.

The Parrot AR.Drone was a remarkable toy when it was introduced in 2010, offering consumers a ready-to-fly quadcopter they could control with an iPhone. In 2012, the company made that toy friendlier and more durable. But for 2014, the company is done just playing around. The new Parrot Bebop Drone — aka AR.Drone 3.0 — is also designed to be a tool for aerial photos and videos. Like its increasingly popular competitor, the DJI Phantom 2 Vision, the new Parrot flyer hopes to attract filmmakers and photographers with an increasingly high-quality flying camera, built-in GPS to fly programmed waypoints, and the ability to hover and pan the camera. But Parrot may also wind up leapfrogging DJI with unheard-of image stabilization and range — plus the officially-supported ability to use a VR headset while flying around.