Hover Camera isn't a camera. It's a flying drone with foldable features that follows you around autonomously. How cool is that?
The China-based Zero Zero Robotics has raised enough capital (read $25 million) to fund the self-flying drone that can best be described as a flying smartphone. China-based companies like Zhenfund, GSR Ventures and ZUIG, along with a funding round from IDG, contributed heavily in this project.
The four propellers give the camera the customized wings to hover, as do the motors that are housed within a light, but strong framework made of carbon fiber. When folded up, Hover Camera becomes the size of a hardcover book that's meant to be portable and travel-friendly.
Mainly built for aerial photography and videography, its Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor tracks and detects human shapes and faces via advanced proprietary computer technology and artificial intelligence. Simultaneously, the optical and sonar sensors help the drone to steady and position itself for the aerial captures.
Its maximum hovering position can reach up to 164 feet or 50 meters, the compact machine can be controlled by simple taps from your Android or iOS apps when connected to the drone's hotspot via Wi-Fi.
While a single-finger movement fixes the camera pitch and drone yaw, a two-finger gesture determines altitude and direction. The app obviously includes buttons for basic actions like backward and forward movements, while providing a live video stream supported by electronic stabilization.
You can store the 4K resolution videos in the 32 GB internal memory, and a micro-USB 3.0 Type B port takes care of the file transfers. Along with the already-existing body and face tracking features, the drone promises to add more features like gesture control and orbiting mode later, to up its game.
Weighing just a little more than half a pound, the superlight drone can bypass registration with the FAA, which means the beginners can easily get a hands-on experience without the added hassle of getting the machine registered with a government body.
Zero Zero Robotics is currently conducting a beta trial and is yet to announce when the Hover Camera will hit the market. The drone is rumored to be priced somewhere below $600, which sounds pretty reasonable given its portability and capabilities.
