New drone to offer facial detection, selfie photos

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - A California drone company is bringing a drone to market that has voice control and facial detection tied to a camera.

The company Yuneec International will market the Mantis Q to consumers for about $500.  It just started taking preorders.

The drone is controlled via mobile device or remote and, weighing just one pound, is small enough to tuck away inside a bag after its arms are folded away.

It only has 33 minutes of battery life but comes with autonomous flight modes with top speeds over 44 miles per hour.

The company says users can command Mantis Q to take a photo or begin recording video up to 4K resolution.  It will also respond to the flight commands such as "take off" and "return home".

The Mantis Q includes facial detection and gesture control. Users simply smile at the drone to activate face detection and as soon as the Mantis Q "sees" the user's face, it will take a photo from up to 13 feet away. In Gesture Control mode, Mantis Q will detect a hand waving and it will take a photo.

The company says that it comes with advanced indoor stabilization technology and down-facing dual sonar sensors and infrared detection.