Parrot, originally the pioneer of consumer drones a decade ago, now seeks to set new standards for drones at work with the announce of the ANAFI Ai.
ANAFI Ai is the first drone to use 4G as the main data link between the drone and the operator, which is a real game-changer for the drone industry. Users will no longer experience transmission limitations thanks to ANAFI Ai’s 4G connectivity, which enables precise control at any distance. For Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights, it stays connected even behind obstacles.

For the first time, ANAFI Ai embeds a Secure Element in the drone and in its Skycontroller 4. The 4G link between the drone and the user’s phone is encrypted. The Secure Element protects both the integrity of the software and the privacy of data transferred. Parrot’s large partner ecosystem delivers a wealth of specialized applications and services for a variety of professional uses. Parrot is the first in the industry to make its piloting application open-source, and offers developers a Software Development Kit (SDK) to execute custom code in the ANAFI Ai drone during the flight. The SDK gives access to all flight sensors, including obstacle avoidance sensors, occupancy grid, and internet access.

A camera with a 48MP 1/2″ Quad Bayer sensor, 24mm lens, a fixed f/2 aperture, and 73º FOV is affixed to a 6-axis (3-axis mechanical, 3-axis electronic) stabilized gimbal. Parrot says that the camera offers the same precision as a drone with a 1″-type 20MP CMOS sensor while flying 1.5 times higher. The gimbal can also tilt +90º upward and -90º downward, a unique feature also found on its original Anafi model. The camera can record up to 4K/60p footage at H.265 with HDR10 and offers a P-Log profile. It can digitally zoom in on subjects up to 6X with 4X lossless at 1080p and 2X lossless at 4K UHD.

When folded down, the drone is 304 x 130 x 118 mm and weighs 898 g. It has a maximum flight time of 32 minutes, a maximum speed of 16 m/s, and can resist winds up to 13 m/s. Parrot’s obstacle avoidance system uses stereoscopic cameras to detect obstacles in all directions and avoid them. They can be found on both sides of the camera.