New Line Fills Gap Between Professional And Inexpensive Aircraft

Parrot has opened up a new division it hopes will fill a segment of the market between their top-end commercial aircraft which range up to $11,000 and its hobby-store drones which are in the $100 range.

Parrot calls the new line "Parrot Professional". The aircraft will be more in the price category as popular models from DJI and Yuneec. In a news release, Parrot says they are built on Parrot's consumer drones but targeted for use by small to medium-sized businesses.

Parrot says it has identified commercial activities where its drones can focus on providing efficiency and knowledge to save time, perform beter, and generate more revenue. They specifically mention agriculture, construction and real-estate as potential businesses that might employ one of its "professional" line of UAVs.

Recode reports that Parrot is unveiling three new aircraft in its "prosumer" line. The Disco-Pro AG will cost $4,500 and is expected to be available in June. The lower cost Bebop-Pro 3D will set you back about $1,100. The third model, called Bebop-Pro Thermal, will carry a thermal camera. The price for that aircraft has not been determined, according to the report.

Parrot announced the layoff of about 300 people earlier this year, which was about a third of its entire drone staff. At the same time, it said it was reorganizing the company with more of a focus on commercial applications.

(Image from Parrot YouTube video)

FMI: www.parrot.com