By Jim Norton in Las Vegas for the Daily Mail
09:30 10 January 2024, updated 09:30 10 January 2024
- Tourists can now use an AI-powered drone to follow them and take photos
- HOVERAir X1 can score you from 50 feet in the air or chase you down at 15 mph
Vacationers can unbox the selfie stick – there’s a new gadget in town.
Tourists can now use an AI-powered drone to follow them and take photos.
Launching from the palm of your hand, the HOVERAir X1 can score you from 50 feet in the air or chase you down at 15 mph.
The lightweight device uses artificial intelligence to stay focused on you and can be directed where you’re going with simple arm movements.
It may not be suitable for budget travelers, but it costs £419 for the basic package compared to around £10 for the humble selfie stick.
The device was showcased at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which is known for revealing future technology trends that are about to hit the mainstream.
Selfie sticks have divided the country in recent years, with sporting events, museums and theme parks – from Wimbledon to the National Gallery – banning people from using them.
Now, instead of a horde of metal poles obstructing their view, tourists will have to contend with the intense buzzing of a swarm of selfie drones.
Unlike a selfie stick, the HoverAir X1 — which weighs 4 ounces (125 grams) and can be used indoors or outdoors — is completely hands-free.
It doesn’t need a controller or app, relying instead on a Gesture Control feature that allows it to follow you by waving your arms.
To operate, users unfold the drone and place it on the palm of their hand with the camera pointed at them.
After pressing the launch button, the device takes three seconds to register the people it needs to focus on and launches into the air.
There are five modes to choose from.
Most similar to a selfie stick is the basic “hover” option, which tells the drone to stay still in the air at eye level in front of it.
The camera – which can record high-definition video and audio – remains focused on them at all times and can rotate in any direction as the user walks around it.
For a more exciting recording, users can also choose “Follow”, which can chase them on a bike for example at speeds of up to 15mph in winds of up to 18mph.
Or they can choose “Bird’s Eye” mode, where they launch the drone up to 15 feet in the air and use the second camera under its belly to take an aerial shot.
It can also be used by more fearless explorers, working in temperatures ranging from freezing to 40 degrees Celsius.
With an estimated 92 million photos taken every day, an academic study recently described society’s obsession with selfies as a “public health problem.”
Nearly 400 infections or deaths have been reported worldwide from people taking it since 2008.
It turned out that the victims were most likely female tourists in their early twenties, and falling and drowning while taking the photo were the main causes of death.
Over the past decade or so, many cultural events and tourist attractions have confiscated selfie sticks
Premier League stadiums have listed them among prohibited items alongside fireworks and knives, while several theme parks – such as Alton Towers – have had to ban their use in games.
The launch of the drone is likely to be welcomed by many influencers, who are now paying hundreds of pounds a day to professional photographers to snap their photos on holiday.
Companies like Flytographer and Angel are capitalizing on the boom, connecting travelers with photographers at their vacation destination.
Nicole Smith founded the first company a decade ago.
“Since then, we have had tens of thousands of people using our services to hire a photographer around the world, including solo travelers, couples and more than 20,000 mothers,” she said.
“It is very important for mothers to enter the picture instead of always being invisible and documenting the moment.”