Snap, the parent company of social media Snapchat, launched hardware in the form of a small drone with the name ‘Pixy’. This product is Snap’s second hardware device, after five years ago introducing camera glasses, under the name ‘Spectacles’.
“Meet Pixy, the world’s friendliest flying camera. It’s a pocket-sized sidekick that flies free for adventures big and small,” said Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at the Snap Partner Summit.
Having a bright yellow color that’s synonymous with Snapchat, Pixy is Snap’s attempt to bring a drone that’s easier for people to use than any other product on the market today.
Unlike ordinary drones, Pixy does not have a remote control and does not require an SD Card. Where the user simply presses the button in the center of the drone to activate it, and selects a flight mode.
There are at least four flight modes provided. Starting from just hovering, orbiting around the user, following the user walking, and also following the run. Once one of the flight modes is selected, the user simply presses a button, then the Pixy takes off from their hands.
Similarly, when it’s finished recording, users simply point their palms under the Pixy, then the four-propeller-driven drone will automatically land in the palm of their hand.
To see the results of Pixy’s recordings, users just need to open the Snapchat application on their cellphone. The video will be wirelessly transferred, and stored in their Snapchat memory, so that it is immediately ready to be edited and then uploaded.
With its small size, the Pixy only weighs 101 grams. However, the specifications are sufficient enough to be used to record videos for the purposes of social media content. Thanks to the ability of the camera that can record 2.7K video and 12 MP photos.
Using a removable battery, on a single charge the Pixy can be used in five to eight flights, with a time range of between 10 and 20 seconds per flight. As for the internal storage capacity, with a 16GB local drive, Pixy can record up to 100 videos or 1,000 photos in it.
Although it cannot be used to record sound, Pixy is believed to be Snap’s first step in developing AR (argu reality) technology in the future. Because they also include some Pixy special AR effects that snapchat users can choose from.
This mini drone itself began to be marketed on Thursday (28/4) at a price of US $ 230 in the United States and France.
“Our mission is to empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. And this product does just that,” Evan Spiegel told The Verge, explaining why he’s re-launching hardware products.
