Drone Flies Itself, Follows Wherever You Go

The time of the drone camera operator might be coming to an end.

Born in the basement of a UC Berkeley robotics lab, Lily is a lightweight (2.8lb) and simple-to-use camera drone that tracks you via a wireless pod that you carry on your person, either in a pocket or in a provided waterproof case.

It just might overtake point-of-view as the amateur videographer’s perspective of choice.

Its biggest draw is simplicity – you turn it on, throw it in the air, and it follows you as you run/ride/fly, going up to 25 mph.

You can change the position (lead, follow, side angle), distance (from 5 feet to 100 feet away), and altitude (from 5 feet to 50 feet overhead).

It goes for 20 minutes before the battery runs dry, and it takes two hours to recharge. No word how, or if, it avoids obstacles.

Lilly comes with an on-board camera that records 1080p at 60fps, 720p at 120fps, and captures still images at 12 megapixels.

The whole rig is waterproof and can be submerged underwater without damage (rated to 1 meter). The brand doesn’t recommend running the propellers while submerged, but it floats, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

We’re still waiting on the release date, but Lily is taking pre-sale orders.

If you’re planning on getting one, now’s the time — they’ll be $999, but pre-sale pricing is $499. Take a look at the full specs at lily’s website, or check out the video below.