Perhaps you like the idea of using a drone to take aerial selfies, but you don't want to buy a big, expensive, complex quadcopter. That's where ZeroZero Robotics' Hover Camera drone comes in, and the latest version – the X1 – is claimed to be easier than ever to use.
Like its predecessors, namely the original Hover Camera and the Hover 2, the X1 features a hinged body that allows it to be folded down to a 125-g (4.4-oz) package measuring 127 by 86 by 31 mm (5 by 3.38 by 1.22 in) when not in use. Additionally, thanks to protective caging around the propellers, it's able to take off from the user's hand without any risk of injury.
The X1 can be remotely controlled or set to preprogrammed flight modes via an accompanying iOS/Android app. Setting it apart from the previous models, however, is the fact that it can also be used without a smartphone or a remote. Instead, by pushing a button on the drone itself, users can select one of five flight modes.
These modes include Hover (in which it hovers in place); Follow (flies along behind the moving user, keeping them in the shot); Zoom Out (starts close to the user, then flies back to a wider shot); Orbit (flies in a circle around the user, keeping them centered at all times); and Bird's Eye (looks straight down on the user from above).
Once a mode is selected, the aircraft takes off from the user's hand and is airborne in just three seconds.
The X1 has a maximum video resolution of 2.7K/30fps, and utilizes both a mechanical gimbal and an electronic image stabilization system to keep its footage smooth and level. It can also shoot 12-megapixel stills. Both video and photos are stored on 32GB of internal memory. Its camera view is transmitted in real time to the app via Wi-Fi, up to a maximum distance of 30 meters (98 ft).
One charge of the drone's 1,050-mAh lithium battery should reportedly be good for approximately 11 minutes of flight time.
The Hover Camera X-1 is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, where a pledge of US$329 will get you one if everything works out. The planned retail price is $469.
You can see footage shot by it, in the video below.
Source: Indiegogo