If you’re done with selfie sticks and are looking for what comes next in the narcissistic world of self-photography, look no further than Hover Camera, a new “personal” drone that gives you a different — more aerial — view of you and your life.
Hover Camera is a tiny foldable drone that hovers around you, controlled by a compatible smartphone app, snapping 4k video and photos via a 13-megapixel camera. It is seriously portable, and made of carbon fiber so durable, too. Most impressive for those with young kids or pets around, its wings are enclosed and out of reach of hands, which probably makes it one of the safest drones around.
The device has been developed by U.S.-Chinese company Zero Zero Robotics over the past two years and is intended to go on sale over the next few months. There’s no confirmed price for Hover Camera right now, but Zero Zero Robotics CEO and founder Mengqiu Wang told us that the final cost will be sub-$600. The plan is to make it available in China and the U.S. first, before later going in sale in Europe and other parts of the world.
Wang, who graduated from Stanford and includes Twitter among his past employers, took us through the product at TechCrunch Shanghai 2016. It’s super simple to operate: you simply throw it in the air to get started, and then fold the drone to shut it down.
One downside is battery life, always a challenge for drones, which is currently around eight minutes. Wang said the company plans to boost that with new technology before it is released, and the battery is removable so you can carry spares with you.
Wang believes that his company is on the cusp of creating a drone that anyone and everyone can own. If you think it is for you, head over to the Hover Camera website and sign up for the waiting list to buy it once it is released.
