China-based camera company Remo Technology showcased a compelling AI camera at CES that should be of interest to YouTubers and prosumer videographers looking for an affordable gesture control solution. The OBSBOT Tail camera combines artificial intelligence tech and its built-in three-axis gimbal in order to automatically track specific subjects with smooth camera motion. Users can even live stream while easily keeping themselves in the camera shot. The new camera — which can record up to 4K video at 60 fps with support for HDR10 — is expected to launch later this month. The early-bird pre-order special is listed at $469.

Heralded by Variety as one of the “5 Innovations That Stole the Show,” the OBSBOT Tail features a HiSilicon Hi3559A chip for image processing, a 3.5x optical zoom lens, 10 optical lenses, and can record 12MP photos. It can also record time-lapse tracking shots. The battery life is said to be more than two hours (about 150 minutes).

The product’s Kickstarter page points out that “advanced algorithms enable OBSBOT Tail to track, record and capture targets’ movements in 4K videos, automatically. Once you capture your footage, you can edit and share it in only a few steps with OBSBOT Studio app.”

The company claims its “advanced AI tracking … allows for shooting up to 40 meters,” while its “smart AI also tracks in low light environments, noisy streets, twisted postures, tricky angles and colorful backgrounds.”

According to The Verge, the 7.3-inch by 3.3-inch lightweight camera “recognizes various gesture controls — you can flash your palm towards the camera to get it to lock its focus on you; putting up a peace sign will activate zoom; and making an ‘I love you’ hand signal stops the zoom.”

“An LED light at the base flashes green when the camera locks onto a subject, and red when the storage is full. It also has six different shooting modes, like the ability to compose a shot that only frames the subject’s upper body.”

The CNET reviewer was largely impressed: “The build quality is excellent,” he wrote. “Through the companion phone app, you can control the camera tracking speed, how many it tracks and can also add video effects to jazz up your shots.”

“That said, the provided app was still in development. Some of the features felt buggy, such as actually trying to record video, which worked about half the time. As the Tail gets closer to its launch though, I’m told these should be fixed by then.”

Related:
Obsbot Tail Is Like a Google Clips Camera for YouTubers, The Verge, 1/8/19
10 Amazing Camera Innovations You Need to Know About From CES 2019, Digital Camera World, 1/10/19
CES 2019: This Camera Captures Life From Your Baby’s Point-of-View, CNET, 1/10/19
Sharp Is Developing an 8K Camera Aimed at Prosumer Videographers, New Atlas, 1/16/19