OBSBOT Tail is a gesture-controlled AI camera for solo directors

The tiny snag when making movies about people is keeping them in shot. That’s even more of a problem if your crew consists of you, a rucksack, and a packed lunch. Unless you have an OBSBOT Tail (£380), which styles itself as the world’s first auto-director AI camera. Really, it’s more like an automated cinematographer. Set the thing down, tell it who to keep in frame, and you’ll get buttery smooth 4K tracking shots, thanks to the 3-axis gimbal and 1/2.3in Sony CMOS sensor. You don’t even need to prod the OBSBOT app to shake things up either – a hand gesture is enough to have your robot DP perform an action. Let’s just hope the AI won’t intentionally start messing up shots when you omit OBSBOT Tail from the credits in your Hollywood wannabe masterpiece.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.