A New Drone Will Let You Soar Like a VR Falcon

You can pair Parrot's DISCO prototype with VR goggles to really convince yourself you can fly.

January 6, 2016, 2:20pm

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If you've always wanted to soar through the air like a bird but are too afraid to put on a wingsuit, then you can do it vicariously through Parrot's latest drone. Recently unveiled at CES 2016, DISCO the drone is super light and can reach speeds of up to 50mph as it drifts through the air taking in the sights.

The fixed-wing UAV has around 45 minutes flying time, a 1080p HD front-facing camera, and lets you live stream first person views. This means you can pair it with some VR goggles so it becomes a fully immersive real-time experience Parrot says, will "make you feel like a falcon with incredible speed and precision."

You don't have to be an expert to fly it, either, because it's aimed at the novice. To launch it, you just throw it in the air. Being semi-autonomous, it stabilizes and then off it goes. It can land automatically, too, due to ground sensors. To make things even easier, it also has an autopilot mode when in flight, plus a "loiter" mode so it can hover around anything of interest like a kingfisher. It all adds up to make it a much more accessible drone for anyone who isn't adept in the art of RC flying.

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Watching it arc through the air and glide around, you can just imagine its potential for filmmakers and VR artists. The only downside is that it's only a prototype at the moment, but Parrot say they aim to make it available to consumers later this year.