Parrot's Bebop 2 Power camera drone comes with two high capacity batteries, a Wi-Fi controller and a pair of VR goggles
The 1.1-pound Bebop 2 is lighter and more portable than the 3-pound Phantom 4. The Bebop 2 is sold in white and red colors, while the Phantom 4 is available in white.
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The Bebop 2 Power can now fly for an hour, though pilot's will need to land the drone once to hotswap the battery
Parrot's Bebop 2 Power camera drone comes with two high capacity batteries, a Wi-Fi controller and a pair of VR goggles
The Bebop 2 Power's suite of sensors know when the drone is being launched from the hand
France's Parrot has today announced an upgrade to its already pretty capable Bebop 2 drone, the Bebop 2 Power. The built-in camera seems about the same as the previous model, but as its name suggests, this flavor has been given a power boost. Pilots can now get an hour's worth of flight time, though that will need to be split into two sessions. Still, up to 60 minutes in the air with only one stop to hotswap the battery ain't too shabby.
The Bebop 2 Power comes with two 3,350 mAh batteries that each offer a flight time of up to 30 minutes between charges, meaning that the user can get an hour in the air if the four-rotor drone is brought down to terra firma for a quick battery swap. Parrot has also opted to include a pair of FPV goggles and a Wi-Fi controller in the box.
The included Skycontroller 2 has a wireless range of up to 2 km (1.2 mi), while the camera drone has a flashing blue light to the rear that should help the user to keep tabs on it from a distance.
Flight control comes via the new FreeFlight Pro iOS/Android app running on a pilot's smartphone or tablet, and works with the dual joystick controller or the Cockpitglasses 2 goggles. The goggles are compatible with 'the majority of smartphones (up to 6 inches)' and put the user in the virtual pilot seat, offering a 96 degree field of view. Flight information like altitude, speed and battery level are displayed in the virtual space, HUD style.
The Bebop 2 Power's suite of sensors know when the drone is being launched from the hand, initially turning the rotors slowly when in the hand and speeding up when tossed up into the air, or from the ground.
A sport pilot mode has been tuned for power-play drone racing at up to 65 km/h (40 mph) and an aerial mode has been designed for calmer, more controlled flying – though each mode can be tweaked to suit pilot preference. Meanwhile, 3-axis digital stabilization and upgrades to the machine learning technology should help keep things on the level.
Aerial photographers get four pre-programmed flying movements to play with, and four selfie modes use visual recognition and GPS positioning of the pilot's smartphone to ensure the user stays in center frame during 'dronies.' A follow-me mode has been integrated into the drone, with AI-like smarts able to identify subjects captured by its camera for tracking. There's a useful Touch & Fly feature, too, that will see the Bebop 2 Power autonomously fly to a position on the map selected by the user, and an included geo-fencing function will keep the drone within a specified zone.
The Bebop 2 Power's camera rocks a familiar-sounding 14 MP CMOS image sensor capable of Full HD video at 30 frames per second and of snapping JPEG and RAW stills through a wide-angle lens with anti-distortion technology. The 8 GB of internal storage is the same as the 2015 model, too.
The camera drone is due for release this month for US$599.99 and comes in a matte black finish with gloss accents. The promo video below shows the new drone in action.
Source: Parrot
Parrot Bebop 2 Power - Official Launch Video
Parrot has taken its Bebop 2 drone and made it even better with the latest version of this quadcopter, boosting the battery and making a sweeping selection of software changes.
![Bebop Vs Bebop 2 Bebop Vs Bebop 2](http://blog.parrot.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Comparatif-bb1-bb2.jpg)
The Bebop 2 Power is designed to make the experience of capturing unique video even better. The 'power' in the name refers to the fact that this version comes with two battery packs, meaning you'll get up to an hour of flying time, although you'll have to switch batteries after 30 minutes of flight time.
The Bebop 2 is incredibly easy to fly and in this latest guise, it's even smarter, giving you a wide range of new features that will help you capture the footage that you want.
There's a recognition algorithm that will now allow you to select an object, like a person and then keep that person in frame. The Bebop 2 has a great stabilised camera in its nose, as well as being really good at maintaining a steady hover.
Using this object recognition there's a range of additional moves that the Bebop 2 Power can perform to spice up your capture. The aim is to let you add more interesting video than just a straight follow, letting you perform moves like 'tornado' or 'boomerang' around the subject to capture fluid and unique angles.
With that in mind, there's another set of automated maneuverers that encompass a rise (that classic drone video shot), a 360 capture that you'll see a lot to take in the view or the reveal which is our favourite.
The reveal is that classic move where the camera is pointing down and slowly pans up to reveal the landscape or the scene ahead. It's a classic move used in the open in loads of Hollywood movies. Sure, you can do it with other drones, but the appeal of the Bebop 2 is that you can do it on your own, without needing a separate person to control the camera while someone else is flying.
When it comes to flying, the Bebop 2 can be hand launched, so you don't need to put it on the ground. All you have to do is hold the drone from the base (away from the propellers naturally) and press the takeoff button. The props will turn slowly so you know it's ready to go, then you just sling it into the air and it leaps into a hover.
Making flying easier there's also the option to touch fly using your phone connected to the Skycontroller 2. You can call up a map, then just press where you want the drone to fly to using touch. This will then send the drone off without you having to pilot it, remembering of course that you'll have to make sure it's high enough not to hit anything.
The Bebop 2 Power builds on the FPV version of drone and comes with the new folding goggles in the box that you can also get with the new Mambo FPV. These will let you slot your smartphone (Android or iOS) into the front so you can view through the drone's camera as you fly.
You also get the Skycontroller 2 in the box, giving you range out to 2km. You'll also have noticed from our photos that this version of the drone is black.
The Parrot Bebop 2 Power will be available in from September 2017 for £629.