Is Hover Camera the next Lily drone?

The Hover Camera has an eye-catching appearance and folds up a bit like a barbecue clip. Its four propellers and motors are encased in an intricate carbon-fiber framework. The design prevents people from harming themselves from spinning propellers. However, we’re not sure how safe the gaps are and much like domestic fans, we’d be worried about our children’s fingers or toes get caught mid spin from impulsive curiosity. From our point of view, this isn’t a good design especially when you take aerodynamics into consideration.

Covering the propellers comes at the cost of increased weight and reduced efficiency. Because of this, the cover has to be hollowed out as much as possible to reduce weight and extend flight time (in practice, the  Hover camera helicopter can fly for about 8 minutes on a single charge).In any case, it’s urgent for users to find their pose, the passport’s flight time is embarrassing.

In a brief demo, the Hover Camera showed its promise, but also its limitations. It struggled outside in a mild wind. A bottom-facing camera helps keep the Hover a steady height off the ground, but the lack of side-facing cameras leave it unable to avoid other obstacles on its own. And like other drones, it’s still on the loud side.

The appeal of Hover Camera is that its small size and basic functions will allow people to record both inside and out, and let them stay close to the action, whether that’s a wedding or a game of pickup basketball. Weighing just 238 grams, Hover is small enough that owners won’t have to register with federal regulators.

And Hover Camera is incredibly easy to control. Unfold it, tap the power button, fire up the smartphone app, and you’re piloting via virtual joystick on the screen. Using a combination of downward-facing sonar and AI, it simply floats in position wherever you place it. Moreover, it gently moves up, down, and 360 degrees around on command, snapping 13MP photos and near-4K video at the tap of a finger.

Hover is using Qualcomm’s drone technology, while Foxconn will do the actual manufacturing. The company has quietly raised about $25 million in funding over the past two years.

At $599, it’s a pricey selfie-snapping accessory, but considering the thing is roughly the size of a Kindle, it makes the most sense as a travel companion since it can capture vistas and memories from jet-setting adventures around the world in a way even the best smartphone cameras cannot.

 

 

 

 

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