Trying to shoot a selfie video, but can’t stay in the frame? Want to see what your pet actually does all day? An artificially intelligent camera could soon help. During CES, Remo Technology teased the Obsbot Tail, what the company calls the first artificial intelligence-powered autonomous director camera. The camera-gimbal combo uses A.I. to keep the subject in the frame. Now, the Obsbot Tail is available for pre-order on Kickstarter, with a new mode designed to keep track of your pets.
The Obsbot Tail mixes a 4K 60-fps camera with a three-axis mechanical gimbal and a 3.5x optical zoom lens. The camera uses artificial intelligence (and that gimbal) to follow a pre-determined subject. The Obsbot Tail uses different filming modes to determine how the camera frames the shot, from following full-body action to maintaining an upper-body crop.
After reaching full funding on Kickstarter, the company added a new mode: Pet Pal. The new option allows the camera to track and recognize pets. Since the Obsbot is designed not to need a cameraman, the camera could also record your pet in your absence, similar to a dedicated pet camera.
The A.I. also allows users to create gesture controls for actions like snapping a photo. Inside the app, users can tap to select the subject to follow, along with an option to choose what subjects to ignore. The camera uses an HiSilicon Hi3559A chip for image processing, which the company says offers powerful processing with low power consumption. The camera also supports HDR10 video and 3D Lookup Tables for color correction.
For motion that can’t be followed using the gimbal alone, the Obsbot Tail will also have a wheeled dolly accessory that allows the camera to move. The dolly can help the camera follow the subject on an auto mode or using a preset path.
The Obsbot Tail also includes time-lapse modes and an app for editing footage.
The camera sits at 6.7 inches tall and 3.4 inches wide. The battery is rated at up to 150 minutes of recording.
“The Obsbot Tail is a groundbreaking camera that makes sophisticated filming techniques and filming complex movements readily accessible to anyone, with just a tap of a button,” Bo Liu, CEO and founder of Remo Technology, said in a press release. “We’ve worked with dozens of dance groups, street sports teams, and vloggers to design a camera that can truly capture movement. We hope that with Obsbot Tail, people can enjoy the freedom of expressing their creativity through videos, without the hassle of getting help from others, or having to endure the complex process of setting up or adjusting a camera.”
After teasing the camera at CES 2019, the Shenzhen China startup is now using Kickstarter to launch the Obsbot Tail. After reaching the funding goal, the crowdfunding platform is still open for pre-orders, starting at $489. The company aims to start shipping in April.
Updated on March 13, 2019: Added new pet mode and pre-order details.
