Hover Camera: See what they think

Speaking of Hover Camera, you may think of the bankrupt Zano and the Lily in the drones marketing, the three drones are similar, they are all the drones mainly coming with the Self-Timer function, including the following shot function.

Then Hover Camera will follow in their footsteps? How do you think about the Hover Camera?

Below are some comments from the Hover Camera forum.

“More realistic. Its primary selling point is the use of the bottom camera. The rest of the functions are common cellphone camera features. Its main purpose is to stay in place no matter what, the follow feature is probably just the yaw and camera tilt.”

“I saw Hover Camera in my news feed. Looks cool, but at the end of the day, it’s just another toy hitting the market. It might sell well, but I don’t think this is the kind of device that people NEED or that will be super widespread. I’m sure it’ll be fun to fly, though.”

“Just seems a bit pricey for a design that looks like it was 3D printed to hold crayons. Why enclose the props with all that plastic? You’re losing a lot of functionality (lift and aerodynamics) that way.”

“Video is pretty bad. Which is why they market it more for taking photos instead video. I still need to take it out for another ride on the Boosted Board and see how Beast Mode works and how the video quality it when it’s flying at a constant speed. I’m hoping it does a little better than when just floating. Overall, it’s still a fun little toy.”

“The Dobby and Yuneec Breeze look like good options as well. I’ve had Phantoms and actually lugged them along on some pretty long hikes to do exactly what one of these will do. And the fact is I’m not a videographer and while the capabilities of that platform are wonderful, I’ve just come to the realization that one of these types – or maybe a Bebop 2 – are much more my speed, being that all I ended up using the Phantom for is remote selfies anyway.”

“Just purchased Hover Camera because the concept seemed cool and I wanted to try it. Not worth the money really. But still a fun little guy to mess around with. May end up on eBay in a couple weeks.”

“I don’t think I need Hover Camera but and glad I found out about it through an entertaining and honest, robust instructional delivery well done. Imagine it above you while your cooking acting as a fan while filming.”

“If you are looking to use for photos only, this could be a good choice. If you want more video, I’d suggest something like the DJI Mavic. I did a review of that too. It may be more of what you are looking for.”

 

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DJI Mavic competitor from ZeroTech…

DJI’s first foldable drone Mavic Pro is sought after as soon as it hit the market. Now another Chinese brand ZeroTech, maker of the Dobby, has introduced a similar product, a DJI Mavic competitor.

The aircraft can also be folded, which is almost the same size as the Dobby. At first glance, it’s very similar to DJI Mavic, but different in details. Such as the smaller size, the battery installation and the configuration. It seems it aims at hobby market.

The photos published on drone-rumour site sb-dji.com suggest a folding format drone. Specifications which at this time are rumor/speculation stand as follows:

• Approximately 7-15 minutes flight-time.
• 1.5km flight distance/range.
• Folding propellers.

The industry predicts that the performance of the drone will not be very high, at least is less powerful than Mavic Pro. The advantage is its price, it should be somewhere within $500 USD

What are your thoughts about the competitor? Please let us know in the comment below.

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Hover Camera buy:Is $599 Too High

The Hover Camera is one of the more unique flying cameras we’ve ever seen, focusing on a durable and portable lightweight design, competitive price, and ease of use through an iPhone app.

Just like Lily and Zano, as the marketing message goes, it’s aiming for the selfie market. Like the others, it has attracted a fair bit of attention from the time it was first unveiled in April.

The official release unit is compact, foldable and weighs only 240 grams. It can recognize a human face and then track it. Hover Camera also supports 360° shooting, throw-and-fly, automatic hovering etc. The drone is priced at $599.

To step back for a second, consumers can buy a Parrot drone or DJI’s Phantom 3S starting. From $499. This new drone-in-a-grill has 10-minute flight, a controllable range of 20m and doesn’t support a remote control, working only through an app. So, is $599 cheap? There are a number of factors to consider.

There are three levels of consumer drone:

• Low-end “selfie drones”(under $400)

Example: Dobby

Features: Focusing on selfies, 4k video, flight time within 10 minutes, electronic image stabilization, limited flight range, controlled by smartphone.

• Consumer drones for aerial imaging (Above $650)

Example：DJI Mavic, DJI Phantom series

Features: Focusing on aerial photography, flight time around 27 minutes, three-axis gimbal, long transmission range, uses remote controller.

• Drones for professional photography (Above $1,500)

Example: DJI Inspire series

Features: Cinematic footage of higher quality, better camera, dual controllers.

There isn’t any mature product between $400-$650 yet. The Hover Camera is trying to wedge itself into this market segment. But, when you lay out its features, side-by-side with rivals, it’s simply too expensive as a “selfie drone.” And then ask yourself these questions:

1. Do we actually need a drone to take selfies?
2. Enclosing propellers with a cover, is that innovation or marketing?
3. Do you want to lower your technical expectations, yet still pay a high price for promised “safety?”

In summary, $599 for the Hover Camera is a bit rich for our blood. Drones with far more features, better cameras – stabilized ones – start $100 below that price point and get steadily better as they creep above it by another $100 or $200. The Hover Camera is cute, but it makes too many compromises and comes in at too high a price.

( Source )

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Hope this helps anyone looking for Dobby samples

The compact Dobby‘s low price makes it hard to ignore, even if it is a light-duty device.

I have had this toy for a few days, I took it recently for a trip to Guatemala, what a joy it is, so small, in fits in my small camera bag, If a lens fits there, then the Dobby drone fits there also. It works quite good with my cell phone, although the range is not that good because it only uses WIFI , but so far I have really enjoyed it, easy to fly, decent quality photo, ok video.

One asked me some questions about the Dobby after I posted my images on the forums.

“Do the Android or OS WiFi apps work on a tablet as well as a phone?

Judging by the smooth waters, the sky above Atitlan must have been windless on the morning you shot the sample pictures. How would it fare in a breeze or >10mph wind?

How easy to navigate back to the dock? Had you selected “go home” would it return safely or possibly plunk into the water right next to the point of departure?  If you tell it to track you, would it follow you back to shore without getting lost?

Is the video mode impaired by motor vibrations as well as by tiny sensor?

What sort of battery life? 5 minutes?

Would you dare (or be allowed) to fly it above Tikal, Chichicastenango on market day, or Antigua? I imagine the local police, cacique, or archaeological custodian expects a fee or propina for usage.

When you try to check-in at an airport, is there any hesitation that the inspectors might seize it because it has an Li-ion battery?  This risk might also apply to high-end drones, in which case the low cost of the Dobby gives some relief, so long as one does not also lose the memory card with images too.”

Below are my answers.

“For photography is good, for video it is not.

it only works on WIFI, it does not come with a controller. I have tested with phone and tablet (both android) – works fine. However, WIFI has its limitations of distance and I do not push it… no risks for me.

It fairs okay in wind, however batteries last less. It is a very noisy drone. For photos, remember I said that for video it is no good – jello galore.

Zerotech has not perfected software, it needs 8 satellites minimum to start up, and if it looses GPS and you are high up, you are doomed.

Battery life is 5-8 minutes, depending on :

a) wind  b)If stabilizer for camera is on  c) temperature.

Would I use it in Tikal ? in a heartbeat if allowed.

Would I use it in market day ? no, for several reasons: a) put people in risk  b) I do not want to get clinched  c) I do not want my drone stolen etc etc.

In the airport they don’t even acknowledge my Dobby, it fits in my camera bag, batteries look good/small – no wires hanging.

I do not use return to home, follow me or stuff like that, I fly up take the pictures and land, its a flying camera for me.”

Hope this helps anyone looking for a Dobby or Dobby sample pictures.

 

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Hover Camera or Dobby? Read this before you choose

A pocket drone capture amazing high-quality video, and are so well-constructed for the price that they keep everyone from simple hobbyists to those who are looking for a full-fledged movie director’s tool interested. So which one should you choose? Hover Camera or Dobby?

Design

The Dobby has a folding design and is finished in white.The Dobby pocket drone that absolutely feels like something from visionary shows such as “Futurama” or “Blade Runner”, and its propellers fold up very nicely into its tiny pill-like shape. The entire drone weighs just under half a pound, and is controlled by a smartphone app like many others out there on the market.

 

While, the Hover Camera by Zero Zero Robotics has a body made with carbon fiber that makes it lightweight and strong. This Hover Camera has a compact, small and light body is a combination of a camera and a drone. It also has four motors and propellers that are attached to the body. This is due to the design of the body that could be easy on the wallet.

Size&Wight

Hover Camera: 182 x 132 x 33mm, 238g, about the size of an iPad mini
Dobby:135mm x 67mm x 36.8mm, 199g, about the size of an iPhone 6

Obviously, the Dobby drone is smaller and more portable.

Price

At the current time the Zerotech Dobby can be found on sale for $349, which includes the drone, its battery, a charger and 4 blades; there are no prop guards or any other accessories.

The Hover Camera Passport will, on the other hand cost $599 and the package includes the drone, protective case, case strap, easy-carry bag, two rechargeable LiPo batteries, charger, an USB 3.0 cable and 4 spare propellers.

Controls

There’s no dedicated remote control. Instead you fly using your smartphone. The free Do.fun app, available for Android and iOS, is required to control the quadcopter.

The Dobby is pretty easy to fly. It automatically takes off from flat ground—don’t try from a stony driveway or a grassy lawn, however, as the rotors are too low to the ground to spin up on anything but a flat surface. Takeoff and landing are automatic, but you may have to calibrate the aircraft compass and the phone compass before your first flight. The app walks you through that process, which involves spinning the Dobby and waving your phone in a figure-eight pattern.

There are two control schemes available. Selfie mode adjusts the directions in relation to your position. It can also be set to a landscape videography mode, which flies the drone in relation to the position of its nose.

A control pad on the left side of the app adjusts altitude and spins the Dobby about its axis. To move it forward, backward, left, or right in space you hold your thumb down on the right half of the screen and tilt your phone in the direction you want it to fly.

There are a few automated flight modes. You can set it to orbit around a point in space, keeping its camera pointed at the center. It also has Target and Face Tracking, perfect for the selfie crowd—target yourself and the Dobby will follow you around. Finally there’s Return-to-Home, which brings the quadcopter back to its launch point.

As for the Hover camera, the Passport has an accompanying app that gives you a fair number of controller layout options. You can fly with two virtual joysticks if you’re familiar with traditional controls; use the simplified layout if you just need to get the camera in position; or even turn on tilt mode and steer the drone around by tilting your phone in any direction. As with most smartphone-based controls, the Passport’s manual modes do feel a bit loose and imprecise.

It does Orbit mode, in which the drone will fly in a circle around you regardless of where you move; as well as 360 Panorama mode, in which the drone will execute a 360-degree spin and then stitch together a single panoramic image.

The most impressive modes are the two that make use of the Passport’s image recognition software: Face Track and Body Track — both of which are self explanatory. To use them, you simply tap on the face or body that you’d like to follow, and the Hover Camera will do whatever it takes to keep the subject in frame. The software isn’t quite as robust or intuitive as DJI’s Active Track technology (which can track any object you select), but it’s pretty effective, and definitely one of the Passport’s best features.

Performance and Video Quality

Video is recorded at 1080p quality. It’s silent, which is fine as propeller noise is all a microphone would pick up. Stabilization is digital, and the result is wobbly, jittery video. Colors look good, but I’ve seen better detail from 1080p video before.

Stills are captured in JPG format at 13MP resolution. Image quality is on par with what you get from a midrange smartphone. But if you’re used to Snapchatting with your phone’s front camera you’ll be happy with the Dobby‘s imaging capabilities. Just don’t expect anything more.

(via Dobby)

On the other hand, the Hover Camera Passport is touted as a selfie camera, the camera itself is admittedly rather lackluster compared to what’s available on some other drones like Mavic Pro. It can shoot in 4K, 1080p, or 720p — but is limited to 30 frames per second regardless of the resolution. It also doesn’t have a gimbal, and relies on a combination of digital stabilization and a single-axis swivel to stabilize images. Effectively, this means you’ll need to shoot in 1080p if you want smooth video, since 4K video is only stabilized along one axis and will likely be shaky.

(via Hover Camera)

In terms of the image quality and stabilization, Dobby is ahead of the Hover Camera. And it comes with 100m operating range range compared to 20m of Hover Camera.

Flight time

Hover Camera: 10mins
Dobby: 9mins

Both of them are good for social media sharing, easy to carry around and shot battery time, the choice may come down to camera and price.

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Dobby: an selfie-drone of pocket

While there have been numerous announcements of self-drones in recent months, few have finally come to fruition. Dobby drone is an exception to the rule.

Whether you like it or not, drones and selfies are there to last. The latter are permanently installed in our digital society while the former are just beginning to do so. If they do not replace conventional cameras, drones become valuable photographic aids. They allow, for example, the production of still or animated images from points of view inaccessible to amateurs and semi-professionals.

Designed by Chinese ZeroTech, Dobby drone falls into the category of pocket drones intended to immortalize the exploits of its owner. Made of a sturdy plastic, the thing is barely bigger than a smartphone and can fit in the back pocket of jeans, with the four arms supporting the propellers folding underneath the device. The camera is equipped with a 1 / 3.06 ” effective 13 megapixel sensor and a 28 mm f / 2.3 lens (35 mm equivalent).

With such characteristics, there is a risk of medium high sensitivity. This is not very serious, this kind of product being designed to be used outdoors in daylight. This did not prevent the manufacturer from limiting the sensitivity to 3200 Iso. The video capture in 4K at 30 fps is provided without stabilization, making it difficult to use outside in windy conditions. To benefit from electronic stabilization, we will have to be satisfied with the Full HD 30 im / s that we consider suitable for this type of use. The images are stored in the 16 GB of internal memory (non-extensible).

The Dobby drone is using an application available in iPhone and Android versions. It essentially offers automatic modes such as object / person tracking, orbital recording (the drone rotates around an object) or facial recognition. The device is equipped with a GPS and a slew of environmental sensors. Note that the battery has a range of 9 minutes maximum in flight.

Dobby is available for $478 in specialty shops.

 

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4 key questions to find out Hover Camera

Instead of being a jack-of-all-trades, this Hover Camera from Zero Zero Robotics is built specifically for taking selfies and follow footage — We asked four key questions to find out whether it’ll be worth the price of admission in the dawn of a burgeoning drone industry.

So what’s it all about?

There are three main features that give Hover Camera its distinctiveness (if we can call it that). To start with it’s aiming at a very specific market. It’s not really a high-performance aerial imaging machine. So where does it fit in? Well, it’s a low flying one take selfie drone at best and probably for reasons we’ll go into later. Another distinctive feature is its enclosed or ‘housed’ propellers that are electric fanlike in execution but evidently safe to handle. The Hover Camera is light (242g) with a foldable design that can fold into the size of a hardback book.

Does it perform well?

The quick answer would be a resounding no. It does’t perform well at all. But the easiest thing to do would be to break down the Hover Camera’s performance in the following ways.

Camera and image sensor – with a 1/3.06 inch CMOS sensor and 13 million effective pixels the Hover Camera’s camera is simply too small to capture decent images. It’s likely outdated too with a small sensor today’s mobile phone manufacturers wouldn’t even use.

GPS – the Hover Camera only has a paltry 20m wireless video transmission range, which is much shorter than Dobby’s at 100m and absolutely nothing compared to DJI’s Mavic Pro with 7km! However, since the Hover Camera uses optical flow and a front camera SDK to hover, it’s a lot small and ‘floaty’ than the Dobby or Mavic Pro and is therefore susceptible to catch drift in the wind.

Flight Time – a total flying time of just eight minutes and before you know how to even use it, you’ll be recharging or putting new batteries in for another quick round. In practical terms, eight minutes is simply not enough for any kind of photo-shoot without this small inconvenience. Zero Zero have countered this by claiming that they will be giving users spare batteries for orders but for the price, we’re not so sure.

On Board Intelligence – let’s just say that the Hover Camera doesn’t have much in terms of intelligent features ad certainly DJI’s Mavic Pro is the big daddy in that department. When we tested it the active track function lost track of it’s subject several times. A big no no. 

What’s that you say? More than $600!?

For a starting price of $599 and for the features you get and cost and low battery power time, we honestly think you’re better of with a $5 selfie stick and saving your money for a DJI Mavic Pro. Even if you do fork out for a Hover Camera you’ll soon be pining for something more sophisticated and with better overall performance. Mavic Pro is still even cheaper than that.

Verdict

If we had to rate this, it would be 2/10. Zero Zero Robotics have potential but this first generation of Hover Camera really blows. Its natural competitors would be the Dobby, Yuneec Breeze or even Parrot’s AR drones but we would go for any of them first before forking out for a Hover Camera.

( Source )

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Could the Hover Camera crush DJI?

Unfamiliar to most costumers, the Zero Zero Robotics company has stirred the drone industry with the Hover Camera, a drone with a compact and unusual design. At launch, it was widely covered in traditional media and went viral on social media for a number of reasons: being the first selfie drone on the market, a charismatic CEO, exposure on talk shows, etc.

Could the Hover Camera crush DJI? Let’s take a closer look at the drone.

Zero Zero Robotics’s original idea was a selfie drone but what it actually came out with it more like a “tracking drone.” It’s a rather abrupt shift from one concept to another and possibly dangers as consumers prefer to stick with what they know.

Launched with first-class advertising and web design, the company even advertised on TV, which is an even more powerful platform. Yet, the moments following the launch weren’t in as high of a spirit.

DJI’s impressive Mavic Pro may not have had the impactful launch of the Hover Camera. But while Zero Zero Robotics has $25M in venture capital from investor, it seemingly has little more than this following their lackluster launch.

1. Market

This year has seen a number of portable drones being launched, including Dobby, Yuneec’s Breeze, GoPro’s Karma, DJI’s Mavic Pro, Tencent’s Ying, etc. Looking at how it’s positioned in its market, the Hover Camera competes directly with Dobby and not so much with DJI.

2. Timing

A successful launch needs more than a good concept; marketing, distribution, manufacturing capacity, and especially timing is crucial for success.

Based on this, the Hover Camera looks weak as a competitor. Dobby beat it to their launch, while the Mavic Pro performs significantly better for serious aerial photography.

3. Product

The Hover Camera has a unique design and unique functionality. But uniqueness doesn’t guarantee the survival of Zero Zero Robotics, and it doesn’t mean they can challenge their giant competitors.

4. Pricing

The Hover Camera’s pricepoint is seemingly far too high. Its launch price of $599 meant competing with the Mavic Pro and Phantom 3. It’s also significantly more expensive than the Dobby at $399. This is something that could have and should have been controlled during the design process.

Mavic Pro	$999	Yuneec Breeze	$599	Dobby	$399
Mavic w/o RC	$749	Phantom 3 Standard	$499	AR Drone	$299

5. Performance

While DJI’s Phantom and Inspire series set standards for aerial photography, but we’re yet to see a clear standard setting product in the selfie drone market. Hover Camera has traded performance for “100% safety” as they call it and that’s possibly something they regret. Like DJI did with the Mavic Pro, both performance and safety needs to be taken into consideration.

Conclusion

Unlike other companies in the selfie drone market, Zero Zero Robotics did not crowd fund the launch of the Hover Camera. Still, it faces intense competition from players like DJI and Xiaomi and the company has a tough road ahead. To say the least.

( Source )

 

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Who is the Hover Camera for?

Zero Zero Robotics’s first drone Hover Camera is priced at $599. Let’s take a look at its key features.

Weighing in at at feather lite 242 grams, it’s extremely portable and can be folded to the size of a hardback book. With a maximum flight time of between 8-10 minutes, it runs on normal replaceable batteries and has a 20-meter transmission range through Wi-Fi. The Hover Camera uses optical and sonar sensors to position and steady itself while a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor runs artificial intelligence to detect and track faces or even bodies.

Equipped with 13-megapixel camera, it’s capable of shooting 4K video at 30fps and at the same time offers live 720p HD video. Furthermore, it uses electronic image stabilization (EIS) for anti-shake.

These features sound quite familiar don’t they? In fact, they’re pretty similar to other drones of the same ilk like, Zerotech’s Dobby and Yuneec’s Breeze as well as others. But these drones are priced cheaper than the Hover Camera and they outperform most of it’s features. So why the sky high pricing? What’s so good or so bad about the Hover Camera?

To start with, its propellers are fully enclosed by a strong carbon fiber frame, making it the safest drone we’ve ever played with. Using optical and sonar sensors to position instead of GPS, The Hover Camera is easily affected by lights and can’t really hover precisely. There’s no return-to-home function and without GPS it struggles to outdoors.

No Fly Zone

Additionally, without GPS, the Hover Camera can fly in no-fly zones. But is this an advantage over other drones when really it will never really harm any significant patch of airspace to warrant security lockdown. It’s simply too small and cute.

The overall appeal of the Hover Camera is that it’s easy to carry around. It folds up to the size of a large book and is extremely safe with a casing around the propellers meaning you could probably catch it mid air in flight by just grabbing the body. It would definitely be safe to fly around kids at parties. But if that’s the case, why not just use your phone and a selfie stick to get those extension shots?

For the price, Zero Zero are kind of taking us for a ride. The Hover Camera is not exactly an aerial image maker and though it does what it says on the box i.e. hovers, that’s about it. With all the effort it took to manufacture and market it, why wasn’t more included? In the end, you’d probably be better off saving for a DJI Mavic Pro. That way you’ll have endless exploration and intelligent features at your disposal. Its just a question of time before real customers find this out for themselves.

( Source )

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