Parrot Bebop

Lore & Background

The Bebop was announced in May 2014 as the successor to the AR.Drone 2.0. Unlike its predecessor, it featured a built-in GNSS receiver, allowing it to autonomously follow predetermined flight paths using GPS, GLONASS, or Galileo satellites. Its 14-megapixel camera with an f2.2 180-degree fisheye lens captured 1080p video; instead of a motorized gimbal, the onboard image processor panned, zoomed, and provided 3-axis stabilization by carving out a rectangular 1920×1080 section of the 180-degree image. The Bebop could stream live video to an Oculus Rift headset for first-person view. Power came from a 1200 mAh battery, giving a maximum flight time of 12 minutes. An improved model, the Bebop 2, was announced in November 2015 with a 2700 mAh battery doubling flight time to 25 minutes, improved wind resistance, 8 gigabytes of internal storage (no microSD slot), and a fail-safe to hover if connection with the pilot's phone was lost—though The Verge found such disconnections frequent. The Bebop 2 Power followed in September 2017 with a 3350 mAh battery for 30 minutes of flight. A 32GB variant was released with the Bebop-Pro 3D Modelling package. In October 2017, Parrot released the Bebop-Pro Thermal, based on the Bebop 2 Power, with a rear-mounted Teledyne FLIR ONE Pro thermal camera and 32GB of internal storage. During the DEF CON convention in August 2015, a presenter demonstrated that the Bebop could be hijacked mid-flight via a Wi-Fi deauthentication attack, disconnecting the drone from the pilot's mobile device and allowing anyone with the Parrot app to pair with and take control. Parrot discontinued all consumer products, including the Bebop, in July 2019 to focus on enterprise versions of the Anafi.

Reader's Guide

The Parrot Bebop marked a significant step in consumer drone evolution by integrating GNSS for autonomous flight paths, a feature absent from its AR.Drone predecessor. Its novel approach to image stabilization—using software to crop a stabilized 1080p frame from a 180-degree fisheye view—eliminated the need for a mechanical gimbal, reducing weight and complexity. The Bebop's ability to stream video to an Oculus Rift headset anticipated the first-person-view trend in drone piloting. However, its 12-minute flight time was a limitation addressed by the Bebop 2's doubled endurance. The Bebop 2 Power and Bebop-Pro Thermal extended the platform for professional use, while the demonstrated Wi-Fi hijacking vulnerability at DEF CON highlighted security concerns in early consumer drones. Parrot's discontinuation of the Bebop line in 2019 reflected a strategic shift away from consumer products toward enterprise-focused models like the Anafi.

Did You Know?

• The Bebop was originally known as the AR.Drone 3.0.
• Its 14-megapixel fisheye camera could stream live video to an Oculus Rift headset.
• A Wi-Fi deauthentication attack demonstrated at DEF CON in August 2015 could hijack the Bebop mid-flight.
• The Bebop 2 Power had a 3350 mAh battery for 30 minutes of flight time.