‘Robotic Cameraman’ films Solo adventurers via GPS track

Fans of the cult movie “Napoleon Dynamite” will remember a scene where the character known as Uncle Rico sets a tripod-mounted camera up in a field to film himself making football moves.

It’s a hilarious moment in the movie, and one apt for the introduction of a new product, the SoloShot, which is a device that holds a camera on an included tripod and points it automatically at the person (or object) that is wearing a small GPS transmitter.

If you go alone to ski, surf, bike, or make football moves in a field, this is a product for you. It sounds odd, we know. Watch the video below if you’re intrigued, as it does a good job putting the device in context.

The device has a single purpose: To pan or track with the GPS signal transmitted from the armband unit. It cannot tilt or zoom a camera.

Also, the armband device does not give any control to start, pause, or stop — you’re rolling all the time until you get back to the SoloShot device.

It ain’t cheap. At $479 you could alternatively hire a photo assistant for a day or two. But the “robotic cameraman” will never complain — its battery will run for 5 hours, which is a lot longer than most buddies last holding a camera pointed your way.

The GPS transmitter worn by the person being filmed is rugged and waterproof. Its range is 2,000 feet from the tripod base. You can paddle out into the surf and the unit will track you the whole way, from far breaking waves on into the shore.

—Stephen Regenold