Parrot iPod-Controlled Quadricopter Launches This Week 67
MojoKid writes "Remote-controlled helicopters are not new, but Parrot's AR.Drone Quadricopter is set to make a splash when it goes on sale on Sept. 9th. It will use an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad as a controller, and give a live video feed from two different cameras to the pilot. Each model comes with two hulls, one of them for indoor use, with protective loops around the rotors. The device creates its own Wi-Fi network, which the iOS device connects to in order to control the Quadricopter."
My God! (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Not for children! (Score:3, Insightful)
If you make it out of childhood without one deep cut, broken bone, or serious concussion, you're not really ready to be considered an adult yet.
Some parts of life are dangerous. We have to learn to deal with and accept this when growing up. This particular example doesn't even seem life threateningly dangerous. Just get-some-stitches or maybe worst case lose-a-finger dangerous.
Re:Not for children! (Score:1, Insightful)
I wasn't thinking of the children. I was thinking of the people around the children.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Az56t-rxQ
Re:Not for children! (Score:3, Insightful)
I mean, yeah, getting hit with one looks like it wouldn't be fun, but it's not as if he almost died. He also was running the motor and the prop without having it anchored to anything.
If you or your children are going to work/play with power tools, electronics, chemistry, or other form of engineering, you need to know what precautions to take to safely use your equipment and what the risks are when something fails.
In this case about the worst case scenario is loss of control resulting in somebody to get some surface lacerations. If your kid is intentionally flying $300 model airplanes into people, then perhaps you shouldn't let him fly one to begin with. Parents should be able to determine their children's ability to deal with a certain level of danger. If your kid's not prepared to handle high rpm propellers/BB gun/reciprocating saw then don't let them, but it's not a reason to hold back the kids that are.