Parrot Minidrones coming in 2015 (pictures)
The connected-device maker is prepping a fleet of new flying toy robots to pilot with your smartphone or tablet.
Five new Minidrones
The connected-device company Parrot says it sold more than 600,000 of its two Minidrones from last year -- the Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo -- so it's expanding the line to include five new models, each in two or three designs, so 13 Minidrones in all.
Airborne Night
The Airborne Night quadcopters are basically the same as last year's Rolling Spider. However, instead of that model's attachable set of large, lightweight plastic wheels that let you drive the Spider up walls and across ceilings and offered some propeller protection, you get a protective hull and a pair of LED headlights.
LEDs, baby!
The Airborne Night will come in three different versions and will sell for $129. UK and Australia prices have not been announced yet, but the US price converts to approximately £80 and AU$170.
Airborne Cargo
The new Cargo model has a six-stud baseplate on top for use with Lego bricks or figures.
Create a flying tower of bricks
The $99 Cargo will come in two versions. UK and Australia prices have not been announced yet, but the US price converts to approximately £65 and AU$130.
Parrot Hydrofoil
If you'd like to tackle the air and water, the Parrot Hydrofoil combines a quadcopter with an attachable floating base. Attach the copter to a hinged mount on top of the base and spin up its propellers.
Flying across the water
The quadcopter lifts into a vertical position, pushing the Hydrofoil across water at speeds up to 5.4 knots (6mph, 10kph). It will be available in two styles and sell for $179 (about £115 and AU$230).
Onto the ground
On the ground, joining Parrot's Jumping Sumo (which was launched alongside the Rolling Spider) are the Jumping Night and Jumping Race.
VGA video at 30fps
A front-mounted camera gives you a view of the action as you roll around and can record clips to 4GB of internal storage.
What gives it its name
The two-wheeled robots feature a retractable leg that can send them into the air up to 2.5 feet (76cm).
Jumping Night
The Jumping Night ($189; £120 and AU$245 converted) is essentially the Jumping Sumo with LED headlights.
Need for speed?
The Jumping Race pairs a set of larger tires and a more powerful motor to push its top speed to 8 mph (13kph); the Night and Sumo tap out at 4 mph (6.5kph).
Jumping Race
The Race will sell for $189, too, and both will come in three versions.
Coming in the fall
Parrot hasn't given an exact date, but the Minidrones are expected in stores this fall -- just in time for holiday shopping season, of course.