Unmanned aerial vehicles have seen extensive use in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the military isn't the only organization playing the drone game.
As IEEE Spectrum reports, you may be seeing your own personal drone on shelves soon, and the small price tag will make it accessible to everyone.
A company called Always Innovating is working on a palm-sized robot called MeCam that is capable of autonomous flight. Four rotors keep it in the air as it follows you around and shoots video, which it then can stream to your smart phone.
The hardware can run from 1.0GHz to 1.5GHz depending on the configuration, which also packs in 1GB RAM, an SD card, and 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities.
Other features include 14 sensors that keep it hovering safely, voice control, and a video stabilization system. The company says it could potentially be available "by the beginning of 2014" at a $49 price point.
The purpose is for personal surveillance: it can be launched from the palm of your hand so it can follow you around, or take panoramic shots with a goal of sharing to social media sites.
But that doesn't mean it couldn't have other uses.
Embedded in the chip is a fully open-source version of Linux — a platform that would give tinkerers and hackers alike plenty of opportunity to change its given use into something even more interesting or insidious.
Check out the demonstration video:
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