iPhone-controlled hovering device hit at CES

A hovering device resembling a flying saucer has become a hit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, using an iPhone in order to control its movements.

The AR Done, developed by French firm Parrot, can be used through a Wi-Fi connection. Differing from a regular helicopter, the drone has four propellers and can fly several metres in the air.

A user tilts the accelerometer in the iPhone, or iPod Touch, in order to move the device. The AR Drone is the first product of its type from Parrot, with founder Henri Seydoux telling AFP the company already produces a range of wireless products for cars.

“We expect to have it on the market sometime this year,” he said. The company describes the Drone as part of “augmented reality gaming”, which allows “real world objects and conditions, like a tree or wind, to become a part of the video gaming experience.”