Jim Norton from the Daily Mail in Las Vegas
January 10, 2024 09:30, updated January 10, 2024 09:30
- Tourists can now use AI drones to track their surroundings and take photos
- HOVERAir X1 can record you from 50 feet in the air or follow you at up to 15 miles per hour
Vacationers can unpack their selfie sticks and there’s a new gadget in town.
Tourists can now use AI drones to track and photograph them.
HOVERAir X1 can take off from the palm of your hand, record you from 50 feet in the air, and track you at up to 15 miles per hour.
This lightweight device uses AI to keep you focused and can direct you where to go with simple arm movements.
It might not be for budget travelers, but the basic package costs £419, while the selfie stick costs around £10.
The device was unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The show is known for revealing future technology trends that are about to become mainstream.
Selfie sticks have divided the country in recent years, with their use banned at sporting events, museums and theme parks, from Wimbledon to the National Gallery.
Instead of swarms of metal poles blocking their view, tourists will now have to contend with the high-pitched buzz of swarms of selfie drones.
Unlike selfie sticks, HoverAir X1 weighs 4 ounces (125g), can be used indoors or outdoors, and is completely hands-free.
There’s no need for a controller or app, instead it uses a “gesture control” feature that lets you track you by waving your arm.
To work, users unfold the drone and place it in the palm of their hand with the camera facing them.
After pressing the fire button, the device takes three seconds to register who it needs to focus on and is launched into the air.
There are 5 modes to choose from.
The most similar to a selfie stick is the basic “hover” option, which tells the drone to remain stationary in the air at eye level.
The camera, which can record high-resolution video and audio, keeps them in focus at all times and can rotate in either direction as the user walks around.
For more action-packed recordings, users can also select “Follow.” This allows you to chase your bike up to 15 mph in winds of up to 18 mph, for example.
Alternatively, you can choose “bird’s eye” mode. This mode allows the drone to fly up to 15 feet in the air and take aerial shots using its second camera on its underside.
It can also be used by more dangerous explorers, operating in temperatures ranging from sub-zero to 40°C.
With an estimated 92 million photos taken every day, a recent academic study classified society’s obsession with selfies as a “public health problem.”
Since 2008, around 400 injuries or deaths have been reported in people taking it around the world.
The victims were most likely female tourists in their early 20s, and falling while taking pictures and drowning were the two main causes of death.
Over the past decade or so, selfie sticks have been confiscated at several cultural events and attractions.
They are listed as banned items at Premier League stadiums, along with fireworks and knives, and some theme parks, including Alton Towers, have had to ban their use on rides.
The launch of selfie drones will be welcomed by the many influencers who pay hundreds of pounds a day to have their holiday photos taken by professional photographers.
Companies like Flytographer and Angel are capitalizing on this boom, connecting travelers with vacation photographers.
Nicole Smith founded the former 10 years ago.
“Since then, tens of thousands of people around the world have used our services to hire photographers, including solo travelers, couples and more than 20,000 mothers,” she said.
“It is very important for mothers to participate in the photograph, rather than always being an invisible presence and recording the moment.”