The rise of intelligent machines could become literal this year, when a Chinese startup begins selling a camera drone that can track and film people and objects on sight.

Zero Zero Robotics, a Beijing-based startup valued at $150 million in a November funding round, plans to introduce its Hover Camera later this year. The autonomous flying gadget picks out individuals and shadows them on command, capturing every movement with 4K videos and photos via a 13-megapixel camera.

Chief Executive Officer Meng Qiu Wang showed off a device that weighed half a pound, fit in the palm of a hand and will cost under $600. The drone, which during the demonstration hovered in lock-step with the user, can fly for eight minutes on a single charge of a removable battery, he added.

Zero Zero joins a circle of companies trying to cash in on a surge of consumer interest in unmanned aerial vehicles. Their sophistication has grown in recent years: market leader DJI’s popular Phantom detects and avoids obstacles.

The Hover Camera’s selling point is AI that not just recognizes a user on sight, but can track selected targets and their surroundings. “Imagine an autonomous ground vehicle being paired up with a drone so you have eyes in the sky, which do all the mapping and task-finding,” said Wang, a graduate of Stanford University.

The company intends to give away Hover Cameras to selected beta-testers initially, to encourage the creation of video footage and content. Wider sales will begin in August, the company said, as talks with physical distributors have yet to begin.

Zero has raised $25 million from backers including IDG and GSR Ventures since it began life in 2014. It’s spent almost two years in ‘stealth mode’ to prevent rivals from copying its ideas and designs – a legitimate threat in an arena with scores of brands trying to cash in.

 Source: Business Line