A brief history of the company's products Parrot
Today we will talk about the French company Parrot CA, which gave the world a lot of wireless technology. It was founded in 1994 by Cristina / M de Tourvel, Jean-Pierre Talward and Henri Seydoux. But for some reason, now on the official website of the company the founder mentions exclusively Henri Seydoux. The name of the company was not given by chance - Parrot translates as “parrot”, this is justified by the fact that the main specialization of the company was and is voice recognition technology. They also specialize in signal processing of embedded products and in the relatively recent direction to create flying drones.
The very first of the achieved popularity of devices manufactured by the company, is Parrot Voicemate, designed specifically for blind and visually impaired people. It made it possible to store and reproduce important information (such as phone numbers, addresses, etc.) in voice recording format using a voice.
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The device had a recording duration of up to 40 minutes, it recognized the voice perfectly. “Known” 11 languages: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish and Norwegian.
The device provided high-quality voice recognition, all functions were announced verbally by the user: a reminder for periodic and recurring events, a talking calculator of foreign currencies, a voice prompt for each keystroke, plus it had synchronization with a PC for saving data and updating software over the Internet. In addition, thanks to a personal identification number, it restricted access to unauthorized people.
One of the first to purchase this product was the blind American soul singer and composer Stevie Wonder.
The release of this device was discontinued in 2006, but the maintenance of existing devices is made to this day.
Parrot, together with the company Ericsson, produces a Bluetooth handsfree car kit, thereby gaining recognition from motorists around the world, thanks to its ease of use and the quality of voice command recognition. In the future, Parrot has released a few more models of hands-free calling, differing in design, functionality and price.
The company continues to improve its Bluetooth wireless technology. On September 30, at the international exhibition l'Auto in Paris, Parrot presents the Parrot MK6000 with a Parrot P5 processor (32 bits) with a frequency of 208 MHz, 60 MB RAM and 128 MB internal memory. The main difference from the previous models was the use of special signal processing technology “Parrot Beamforming” using two paired microphones. Due to this, the device is much better recognized voice, suppressing the surrounding noise.
And with the use of TTS (text to speech) technology, the MK6000 could pronounce the names of contacts from the list by text without prior voice recording.
In the same year, the Parrot campaign began developing home-based products, such as digital photo frames. They allowed to show and sort all photo albums from your phone via Bluetooth or via a cord from a PC. The company also began the development of wireless Wi-Fi speakers.
In 2008, Parrot launched a special product line for which such eminent designers like Andre Putman, Martin Shekeli and Philippe Starck were invited.
Interior designer Andre Putman specifically for Parrot took up the development of a line of digital photo frames. And on August 6, 2008, the world was presented with its first creation: a digital photo frame with a diagonal of 7 inches and with a screen resolution of 720 by 480 pixels, equipped with auto picture rotation, with built-in 10 MB memory (up to 400 photos) and support for a TS card. The device supported connection to your smartphone both on Wi-Fi, and on Bluetooth. But, truth, and the price tag on it was great ($ 400), as a designer thing.
Martin Shekeli presented his version of the Parrot Specchio digital photo frame, which, when turned off, was a regular 10-inch mirror. The frame, like its predecessors, was connected to a smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The photo frame worked on the Android system and had an Internet connection, so that you could view news and more from the Internet. The price tag for such a device was $ 500 on pre-order.
Philippe Starck gave the world wireless speakers called Zikmu. The columns looked minimalistic, but, at the same time, attractive to the eye. Starck equipped them with docking stations for iPod and iPhone, thus they turned into a full-fledged stereo system. There was also the possibility of streaming from a computer or MacBook via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with A2DP.
The height of the speakers is 72 centimeters, and their design and structure allows you to get surround sound and broadcast it within a radius of 360 degrees. The cost, of course, for such a design creation was rather big - $ 1,500 on pre-order.
In January, at the international exhibition Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas), Parrot presented the AR.Drone quadrocopter with control via a smartphone via Wi-Fi. Rich technical equipment, open API and low cost made AR.Drone one of the most popular platforms for UAVs. This novelty caused a hectic interest and was recognized as the best entertainment gadget at the time.
Parts of the quadcopter were made of nylon and carbon fiber, which gave the drone a light weight. Its diagonal was 57 cm, the kit included protection for the blades, made of EPP foam. There were also several built-in on-board sensors to improve flight, such as an ultrasonic altimeter, which is used for vertical stabilization when lifting up to 6 m. The 11.1 volt battery included in the kit is designed for 12 minutes of continuous flight. Drone could reach speeds of up to 5 m / s.
The developers have equipped a quadcopter with a camera that recognized and monitored objects, allowing the device to be used in augmented reality games.
At the next Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas) was presented the heir to the famous AR.Drone 2.0 copter * . The developers did not create a new quadcopter, but improved the functionality and equipment of an existing drone.
The quality of the camera was increased to 720p, and many sensors became more sensitive, which gave a significant improvement in flight control. The manufacturer added a barometer, for greater accuracy in determining the height.
In the same year, Parrot bought two Swiss companies specializing in UAVs: SenseFly and Pix4D.
At the international exhibition CES 2013, new additions to the AR.Drone 2.0 Elite Edition * were presented. The manufacturer added 4 GB of internal memory, GPS tracking and recording flight data. This allowed the pilots to determine the flight path and choose the points along which the rotor will plot its route. In addition, the recording of the flight was possible to edit using a mobile phone and desktop applications in the "Director Mode" mode. Plus, in the new version, the battery charge was increased, which automatically increased the flight duration with the camera turned on up to 50%.
The Parrot campaign came to grips with the further development of variations of drones and at the international exhibition at CES 2014 in Las Vegas introduced the world of Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo.
Demonstration at CES 2014:
The devices are controlled from a smartphone or tablet by connecting via Wi-Fi. The features of the models were as follows:
Rolling Spider * could both fly, not inferior to professional drones in response and flight accuracy, and travel on the surface; for this, two ultra-light plastic wheels were attached to it on either side.
No less interesting was the Jumping Sumo, in which the camera was built for control from the first person. The picture was displayed in the background in the drone management program on a smartphone or tablet.
Jumping Sumo * has two rubberized wheels on each side, which gives it high mobility in turns and turns. Moreover, the use of the word “Jumping” in the title was not just that: at the sight of the barrier, the drone could jump over or jump on it thanks to a spring mechanism located at the back (jump height up to 80 cm). Also, the model was equipped with a gyroscope, which helps the drone to always land on the wheels.
Using the freeflight 3 application, it is possible to plan the route of movement of your drone with the execution of acrobatic numbers.
In May 2014, at the annual conference of the International Association of Unmanned Vehicles (AUVSI) in Orlando, Parrot announced the third version of AR Drone codenamed Bebop.
The main difference between Bebop Drone 2.0 and AR.Drone 2.0, besides the appearance, is a new camera with a fisheye lens, a f2.2 aperture, a 14-megapixel sensor and a 180-degree viewing angle. Unlike its predecessor, recording goes to HullHD (1080p).
Unfortunately, the big miscalculation of the developers was the amount of internal memory equal to 8 GB, which is very small for recording video in high resolution, photo storage with a resolution of 4096x3072 pixels. It would seem that it is fixable by installing an external memory, but, alas, there was no slot for an SD card.
Because of their small dimensions (28x32x3.6 cm), the developers could not place a large battery and supplied a lithium capacity of 1200 mAh, which gave only 11 minutes of flight time with the camera turned on.
As an additional option, it was proposed to purchase a brand Skycontroller remote control with a range of control up to 2 km.
Bebop Drone has a built-in GNSS chipset equipped with GPS, Glonass and Galileo. Such equipment allows both to set the route for the drone before the flight, and to help the drone to return to the starting point independently. Bebop is controlled from a smartphone or tablet using the FreeFlight 3 application running on Android and IOS gadgets.
2015
In January, the Parrot POT smart flower pot was presented at the CES conference. He always maintains the desired soil moisture, which allows you to forget about caring for a plant for at least a month. You can track the status of a flower and manage its care thanks to a special application for IOS and Android, in the “care” catalog of which there are more than 8,000 different types of plants.
At the same conference in Las Vegas, the famous Parrot Zik Sport stereo headphones were presented for use during sports. They are equipped with adaptive noise cancellation, which suppresses sound depending on the environment (noisy, quiet).
In addition, the device has the ability to measure your remote using a biometric sensor located in the ear, and display data in a special application. It is also possible to see the number of steps, distance traveled, the level of external noise, etc.
And in November 2015, the world saw an improved Bebop 3.0 * , it took into account all the shortcomings of the previous model. The battery was replaced with a more powerful 2700 mAh, which increased the flight time to 25 minutes. The broadcasting distance was increased to 300 meters, and the flight range to 2 km.
A protection system for the screws was added, which fixed them in contact with an obstacle, thereby preventing damage.
Replaced even the lens, which provides high clarity in low light, but, alas, the developers still think that 8 GB of internal memory on board is enough.
At CES 2016, the campaign continued to develop the line of drones and presented Parrot Disco. This is a fascinating project: a fast, smart, ultra-light drone with a flight time of about 45 minutes.
The drone is equipped with all modern sensors for convenient and simple piloting. There is a 3-axis digital stabilizer bebop camera.
The manufacturer assures that even a beginner can cope with the management of this model, since a computer will always come to his aid. So the pilot can not be afraid to risk breaking or breaking the Disco thanks to an absolutely innovative navigation system. Also on board is the autopilot, which will always return the drone back and gently land it on the ground.
Parrot Disco will go on sale later this year.
The Parrot campaign is one of the leaders in the field of droning, and we hope that soon it will again be able to surprise us.
That's all, with you there was a simple service for choosing sophisticated Dronk.Ru equipment. Do not forget to subscribe to our blog , there will be many more interesting things.
PS * - referral links marked with an asterisk, so you can save money by returning cashback. Read more at Dronk.ru/cashback/ or you can receive up to 30% for any purchases by purchasing them through the LetyShops cashback service.
1995
The very first of the achieved popularity of devices manufactured by the company, is Parrot Voicemate, designed specifically for blind and visually impaired people. It made it possible to store and reproduce important information (such as phone numbers, addresses, etc.) in voice recording format using a voice.
')
The device had a recording duration of up to 40 minutes, it recognized the voice perfectly. “Known” 11 languages: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish and Norwegian.
The device provided high-quality voice recognition, all functions were announced verbally by the user: a reminder for periodic and recurring events, a talking calculator of foreign currencies, a voice prompt for each keystroke, plus it had synchronization with a PC for saving data and updating software over the Internet. In addition, thanks to a personal identification number, it restricted access to unauthorized people.
One of the first to purchase this product was the blind American soul singer and composer Stevie Wonder.
The release of this device was discontinued in 2006, but the maintenance of existing devices is made to this day.
year 2000
Parrot, together with the company Ericsson, produces a Bluetooth handsfree car kit, thereby gaining recognition from motorists around the world, thanks to its ease of use and the quality of voice command recognition. In the future, Parrot has released a few more models of hands-free calling, differing in design, functionality and price.
2006
The company continues to improve its Bluetooth wireless technology. On September 30, at the international exhibition l'Auto in Paris, Parrot presents the Parrot MK6000 with a Parrot P5 processor (32 bits) with a frequency of 208 MHz, 60 MB RAM and 128 MB internal memory. The main difference from the previous models was the use of special signal processing technology “Parrot Beamforming” using two paired microphones. Due to this, the device is much better recognized voice, suppressing the surrounding noise.
And with the use of TTS (text to speech) technology, the MK6000 could pronounce the names of contacts from the list by text without prior voice recording.
In the same year, the Parrot campaign began developing home-based products, such as digital photo frames. They allowed to show and sort all photo albums from your phone via Bluetooth or via a cord from a PC. The company also began the development of wireless Wi-Fi speakers.
2008
In 2008, Parrot launched a special product line for which such eminent designers like Andre Putman, Martin Shekeli and Philippe Starck were invited.
Interior designer Andre Putman specifically for Parrot took up the development of a line of digital photo frames. And on August 6, 2008, the world was presented with its first creation: a digital photo frame with a diagonal of 7 inches and with a screen resolution of 720 by 480 pixels, equipped with auto picture rotation, with built-in 10 MB memory (up to 400 photos) and support for a TS card. The device supported connection to your smartphone both on Wi-Fi, and on Bluetooth. But, truth, and the price tag on it was great ($ 400), as a designer thing.
Martin Shekeli presented his version of the Parrot Specchio digital photo frame, which, when turned off, was a regular 10-inch mirror. The frame, like its predecessors, was connected to a smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The photo frame worked on the Android system and had an Internet connection, so that you could view news and more from the Internet. The price tag for such a device was $ 500 on pre-order.
Philippe Starck gave the world wireless speakers called Zikmu. The columns looked minimalistic, but, at the same time, attractive to the eye. Starck equipped them with docking stations for iPod and iPhone, thus they turned into a full-fledged stereo system. There was also the possibility of streaming from a computer or MacBook via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with A2DP.
The height of the speakers is 72 centimeters, and their design and structure allows you to get surround sound and broadcast it within a radius of 360 degrees. The cost, of course, for such a design creation was rather big - $ 1,500 on pre-order.
2010
In January, at the international exhibition Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas), Parrot presented the AR.Drone quadrocopter with control via a smartphone via Wi-Fi. Rich technical equipment, open API and low cost made AR.Drone one of the most popular platforms for UAVs. This novelty caused a hectic interest and was recognized as the best entertainment gadget at the time.
Parts of the quadcopter were made of nylon and carbon fiber, which gave the drone a light weight. Its diagonal was 57 cm, the kit included protection for the blades, made of EPP foam. There were also several built-in on-board sensors to improve flight, such as an ultrasonic altimeter, which is used for vertical stabilization when lifting up to 6 m. The 11.1 volt battery included in the kit is designed for 12 minutes of continuous flight. Drone could reach speeds of up to 5 m / s.
The developers have equipped a quadcopter with a camera that recognized and monitored objects, allowing the device to be used in augmented reality games.
year 2012
At the next Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas) was presented the heir to the famous AR.Drone 2.0 copter * . The developers did not create a new quadcopter, but improved the functionality and equipment of an existing drone.
The quality of the camera was increased to 720p, and many sensors became more sensitive, which gave a significant improvement in flight control. The manufacturer added a barometer, for greater accuracy in determining the height.
In the same year, Parrot bought two Swiss companies specializing in UAVs: SenseFly and Pix4D.
year 2013
At the international exhibition CES 2013, new additions to the AR.Drone 2.0 Elite Edition * were presented. The manufacturer added 4 GB of internal memory, GPS tracking and recording flight data. This allowed the pilots to determine the flight path and choose the points along which the rotor will plot its route. In addition, the recording of the flight was possible to edit using a mobile phone and desktop applications in the "Director Mode" mode. Plus, in the new version, the battery charge was increased, which automatically increased the flight duration with the camera turned on up to 50%.
2014
The Parrot campaign came to grips with the further development of variations of drones and at the international exhibition at CES 2014 in Las Vegas introduced the world of Rolling Spider and Jumping Sumo.
Demonstration at CES 2014:
The devices are controlled from a smartphone or tablet by connecting via Wi-Fi. The features of the models were as follows:
Rolling Spider * could both fly, not inferior to professional drones in response and flight accuracy, and travel on the surface; for this, two ultra-light plastic wheels were attached to it on either side.
No less interesting was the Jumping Sumo, in which the camera was built for control from the first person. The picture was displayed in the background in the drone management program on a smartphone or tablet.
Jumping Sumo * has two rubberized wheels on each side, which gives it high mobility in turns and turns. Moreover, the use of the word “Jumping” in the title was not just that: at the sight of the barrier, the drone could jump over or jump on it thanks to a spring mechanism located at the back (jump height up to 80 cm). Also, the model was equipped with a gyroscope, which helps the drone to always land on the wheels.
Using the freeflight 3 application, it is possible to plan the route of movement of your drone with the execution of acrobatic numbers.
In the press (English):
“The Minidrone, made by the makers of the AR.Drone, is a lightweight, superstable, small, and incredibly fun flying machine.”
Popular Mechanics
“Ahead of the CES, the French electronics maker has made it up to be in Las Vegas.”
Yahoo news
“Parrot's AR Drone 2.0 has been one of the most popular hobbyist drone models ever created. The MiniDrone and the Jumping Sumo:
Popular Mechanics
“Ahead of the CES, the French electronics maker has made it up to be in Las Vegas.”
Yahoo news
“Parrot's AR Drone 2.0 has been one of the most popular hobbyist drone models ever created. The MiniDrone and the Jumping Sumo:
In May 2014, at the annual conference of the International Association of Unmanned Vehicles (AUVSI) in Orlando, Parrot announced the third version of AR Drone codenamed Bebop.
The main difference between Bebop Drone 2.0 and AR.Drone 2.0, besides the appearance, is a new camera with a fisheye lens, a f2.2 aperture, a 14-megapixel sensor and a 180-degree viewing angle. Unlike its predecessor, recording goes to HullHD (1080p).
Unfortunately, the big miscalculation of the developers was the amount of internal memory equal to 8 GB, which is very small for recording video in high resolution, photo storage with a resolution of 4096x3072 pixels. It would seem that it is fixable by installing an external memory, but, alas, there was no slot for an SD card.
Because of their small dimensions (28x32x3.6 cm), the developers could not place a large battery and supplied a lithium capacity of 1200 mAh, which gave only 11 minutes of flight time with the camera turned on.
As an additional option, it was proposed to purchase a brand Skycontroller remote control with a range of control up to 2 km.
Bebop Drone has a built-in GNSS chipset equipped with GPS, Glonass and Galileo. Such equipment allows both to set the route for the drone before the flight, and to help the drone to return to the starting point independently. Bebop is controlled from a smartphone or tablet using the FreeFlight 3 application running on Android and IOS gadgets.
2015
In January, the Parrot POT smart flower pot was presented at the CES conference. He always maintains the desired soil moisture, which allows you to forget about caring for a plant for at least a month. You can track the status of a flower and manage its care thanks to a special application for IOS and Android, in the “care” catalog of which there are more than 8,000 different types of plants.
At the same conference in Las Vegas, the famous Parrot Zik Sport stereo headphones were presented for use during sports. They are equipped with adaptive noise cancellation, which suppresses sound depending on the environment (noisy, quiet).
In addition, the device has the ability to measure your remote using a biometric sensor located in the ear, and display data in a special application. It is also possible to see the number of steps, distance traveled, the level of external noise, etc.
And in November 2015, the world saw an improved Bebop 3.0 * , it took into account all the shortcomings of the previous model. The battery was replaced with a more powerful 2700 mAh, which increased the flight time to 25 minutes. The broadcasting distance was increased to 300 meters, and the flight range to 2 km.
A protection system for the screws was added, which fixed them in contact with an obstacle, thereby preventing damage.
Replaced even the lens, which provides high clarity in low light, but, alas, the developers still think that 8 GB of internal memory on board is enough.
2016 year
At CES 2016, the campaign continued to develop the line of drones and presented Parrot Disco. This is a fascinating project: a fast, smart, ultra-light drone with a flight time of about 45 minutes.
The drone is equipped with all modern sensors for convenient and simple piloting. There is a 3-axis digital stabilizer bebop camera.
The manufacturer assures that even a beginner can cope with the management of this model, since a computer will always come to his aid. So the pilot can not be afraid to risk breaking or breaking the Disco thanks to an absolutely innovative navigation system. Also on board is the autopilot, which will always return the drone back and gently land it on the ground.
Parrot Disco will go on sale later this year.
The Parrot campaign is one of the leaders in the field of droning, and we hope that soon it will again be able to surprise us.
That's all, with you there was a simple service for choosing sophisticated Dronk.Ru equipment. Do not forget to subscribe to our blog , there will be many more interesting things.
PS * - referral links marked with an asterisk, so you can save money by returning cashback. Read more at Dronk.ru/cashback/ or you can receive up to 30% for any purchases by purchasing them through the LetyShops cashback service.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/372285/
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