If the name “Parrot” sounds familiar to you, let us remind you that you’ve heard it many times in the past when we talked about drones.

Parrot is a French company producing toy drones or all sorts of small drones and it is important enough to be mentioned in relationship with other tech behemoths interested in the use of drones, like Google, Amazon or Facebook.

But today we won’t talk about yet another mind – blowing partnership between some giants in the tech field. Today we will talk about the Parrot MiniDrones, two toys coming up this August.

Back in January, Parrot announced these drones during the Consumer Electronics Show. Now the French company came back with tech specs, prices and availability details. So if you feel ready to welcome the Parrot MiniDrones in your house (floor, ceiling and yard air-space), let’s see what this is all about.

Introducing the Jumping Sumo and the Rolling Spider

Don’t get intimidated by their names, these two drones are actually toys for children. According to the specialists covering the topic,

The Jumping Sumo, which is essentially a hopping, spinning remote-control car that you manipulate over WiFi with a Google or Apple connected device, will retail for $159. The Rolling Spider, a Bluetooth-connected flier about the size of a baseball card, will cost $99. Both will arrive in early August and will be available online or at Apple stores, Best Buy, Verizon, and Sprint. Both are operated through Parrot’s free app, available on Android and iOS devices.

If you ask us, the Rolling Spider is by far the most interesting: it does not only come cheaper, but it sports the ability to have a set of wheels snapped to it. This means the drone can be “driven” on the floor, up the walls and even on the ceiling. This is a neat trick and it would make even Fred Astaire jealous a bit. The Rolling Spider can take snapshots and be controlled with your thumbs via the smartphone. In comparison to the more serious and efficient  AR.Drone 2.0 (which is the “parent” of the Spider), the Rolling Spider is less performing when it comes to engine power, battery life, skills and utility. However, while the  AR.Drone 2.0 costs around $300, the Rolling Spider can actually become a child’s favorite toy.

The Jumping Sumo isn’t half bad either, as it has a lot of tricks in its backpack: it can be controlled via WiFi, can jump, can hit objects behind it with some impressive force, it can spin, turn, learn routines and scare the living soul out of your pets. Also, if you pet the Jumping Sumo on its back, its “eyes” turn glowing red. Use this maneuver only if you want to punish the cat.

All in all, the Parrots MiniDrones sound interesting for toys dedicated to children aged 8 – 10+. Can’t wait to get our hands on them this August. In the meantime, stay tuned for the news!