Pilot a drone or leaping robot from your tablet

A miniature drone that can be driven on the ground or flown through the air and a robotic insect capable of jumping 80cm from the ground have been unveiled by peripherals maker Parrot

Parrot has unveiled two new toys at CES in Las Vegas: the MiniDrone quadricopter and the Jumping Sumo robot, which can be driven out of sight thanks to a built-in camera and leap 80cm into the air.

The drone is controlled over Bluetooth via a smartphone or tablet and has an autopilot which helps it maintain stability. The lightweight design includes four motors and rotors which help it to achieve "high speeds and high-precision acrobatics". Two large wheels can also be attached which allow the machine to drive along vertical walls or across ceilings.

The Jumping Sumo robot is controlled over Wi-Fi, again with a smartphone or tablet, and can jump as high as 80cm. It has a built-in screen which beams footage back to mobile devices so that it can be driven out of sight.

Parrot is demonstrating both devices at CES and said that they will go on sale at some point this year.