Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

been there drone that

This camera drone flies itself and will follow you wherever you go*

*Provided you’re carrying a tracker with you.

DRONES ARE INCREDIBLY useful in capturing aerial shots if you have one, and can add a new dimension to landscape shots, but not only does this drone not require a pilot, but it will follow and keep track of you wherever you go.

It’s called Lily and once you throw it up into the air, it will follow you around, recording or taking photos of whatever it is you’re doing.

Lily drone Lily Lily

It manages to do this thanks to a combination of GPS and computer vision. Once the person is carrying a tracking device, the drone uses it and computer vision to “optically follow your features”.

Lily drone gif 2 Lily / YouTube Lily / YouTube / YouTube

The GPS tracker allows it to maintain a certain distance from you, between 1.75 metres to 30 metres depending on your preference and can fly as high as 15 metres above ground. It also keeps it alert to any changes to elevation so it keeps track of you.

A normal flight will last between 18 to 22 minutes and it’s able to capture high-definition videos and images, either 12MP photos or 1080p footage at 60 frames per second and 720p video at 120 frames per second.

Lily camera drone Lily / YouTube Lily / YouTube / YouTube

For now, pre-ordering one will cost you $499 (€440) excluding shipping costs, but when that finishes, the price will rise to $999 (€880). The drone itself is expected to ship in February 2016.

Lily / YouTube

Read: One year later, how has the ‘Right to be forgotten’ panned out for Europe? >

Read: Are you using your phone’s voice features to its fullest? >

Your Voice
Readers Comments
19
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.