Snapchat unveils Pixy selfie drone as latest photo-taking gadget

Camera firm Snap has unveiled an autonomous flying camera device which automatically captures pictures and video which can then be shared to Snapchat.

Called Pixy, the small device takes off and lands in the palm of a user’s hand and tracks the head and body of the owner in order to follow and capture content of them.

Initially going on sale in the US and France, the new camera comes with a set of pre-programmed flight plans to take different types of photos and videos as it floats above the user.

Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel called Pixy a “pocket-sized, free-flying sidekick for adventures big and small”.

Speaking during the tech firm’s annual Snap Partner Summit, Mr Spiegel said: “There are no controllers. There’s no complex set-up. Simply select a flight path and let Pixy take it from there.

“And it knows when and where to return, landing gently in the palm of your hand.”

The camera company confirmed the Pixy would cost 230 dollars (£184), but did not reveal if or when it will be launched in the UK.

Elsewhere at the Summit, Snap said its Snapchat app was now used by more than 600 million people, which includes more than 300 million daily active users around the world.

Mr Spiegel said the app now reached more than 75% of those aged 13 to 34 in more than 20 countries.

The app’s augmented reality Lenses are, on average, interacted with six billion times every day, he added.