Say hello to Lily, a new product concept from Lily Robotics – a five-person Silicon Valley startup that plans to really put the pressure on the adventure photography field.
The product, which is due to hit the market in February 2016, is designed to be the ultimate companion camera, following and filming you without you having to press a single button. The waterproof device uses GPS and sensors to track, and contains a camera capable of 12 megapixel stills and 1080p video.
Say hello to Lily. But is it a dream or a nightmare in the making?
Watch the video of a Lily prototype in action.
Move over, selfie stick.
In recent years, drone photography has seen a sharp increase in popularity as camera and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology has become cheaper. This has led to concerns regarding the safety of privacy and threats to wildlife, causing authorities to consider how best to respond to the rising tide of low-altitude flyers.
However, the threat of a mass-consumer market for these kinds of devices has remained just out of reach, with only the occasional crowdfunding campaign threatening to produce anything of consequence.
And while this isn’t the first such concept to do the rounds, Lily certainly appears to be the product most likely to see the kind of early-stage market penetration required to trail blaze a new category within the outdoor tech sector, potentially growing this category to be worth well over one billion dollars by 2020. Unlike other household names in drone technologies, such as DJI, Lily has the benefit of being a product designed for the average consumer.
But with initial prices set at $999 (USD) per unit, it may be a few years before it is truly affordable for the average punter.