In 2009, Wally Zheng founded Power Vision Group, a “global technology leader focusing on UAV-related products and services including smart drones, data visualization and forecasting, virtual reality and augmented reality.” The company is based out of Beijing, China but has offices throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. They employ close to 500 people who are dedicated to designing the most innovative drone technology imaginable. This past January at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2020 show held annually in Las Vegas, NV, Wally was on hand to reveal his company’s latest design. As stated on CES’s parent company website, Consumer Technology Association, “CES is the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.”

The innovation that Wally introduced to the world was the PowerEgg X, an autonomous personal AI camera that can be used by hand, stationary, or as a drone. The sleek, white, egg shaped device is about the size of a small football and comfortably fits in the palm of your hand weighing only 1.15 lbs. When asked about the design of this drone Wally said, “Three years in development, PowerEgg X pulls together the technology consumers are seeking and puts it in a small, elegant egg shape. With smart-image recognition tracking, image mechanical stabilization, and simple video-editing tools, it is easy for anyone to shoot material as if they were a professional-grade videographer. By creating a multi-purpose device, Power Vision has reduced the user’s total purchase cost, storage requirement, increased ease-of-use, and giving the user unprecedented convenience.” The collaboration of 300 engineers and the approval of 100 patents has resulted in a truly unique drone hybrid.

The PowerEgg can be used like any handheld camera with a comfortable handle. It can be set atop a surface or onto it’s own unfolding stand. It also has retractable rotors that allow you to use it to take aerial film and photos in drone mode. As a drone the PowerEgg can fly for up to 30 minutes and has a 3.7 mile range of distance. It also has a 20 knot wind resistance and there is an option for a waterproof model as well. The drone can take off and land in water and is able to record sound from the controller into whatever footage is being captured. The drone is also equipped with redundancy measures like automatic obstacle avoidance. Whether using the PowerEgg in drone mode, handheld, or stationary you are guaranteed superior results because of the camera’s capabilities.

The PowerEgg’s camera has AI capabilities. As described on the website, “Its face recognition accuracy is continuously improved through deep learning training to follow the object when taking a photo or recording a video. PowerVision’s deep learning is built on non-identifiable global big data, which supports facial recognition and automatic composition to adapt to the features of different people. It then delivers accurate, efficient, multi-angle, remote face recognition and subject lock-on. Facial recognition will become increasingly intelligent and accurate through ongoing deep learning and official firmware upgrading.” The camera automatically track movements so your subject always stays in frame, even when moving about other subjects. As the camera’s AI can remember a subject it will refocus on that subject after it has moved out of frame and then returned to within the camera’s 170° field of view.

The camera also offers superior stability. It has a 3 axis gimbal that keeps filming smoothly. When used in drone or handheld mode the footage recorded will be as smooth as if used on a stationary tripod. “The PowerEgg X can capture life’s beautiful moments anytime, anywhere using its triaxial mechanical stability augmentation gimbal and Autonomous Personal AI Camera. The 3-axis mechanical stability augmentation gimbal can efficiently filter out vibration caused by external sources. Compared to ordinary photography, its anti-shake effect and photography are superior.” The camera records in 4K UHD for crystal clear images for up to 3.5 hours before needing to be recharged. As mentioned before, this time would be less if recording while in drone mode.

Power Vision sees this drone camera hybrid as being suitable for both novice and experienced photographers or drone operators. It can be easily used indoor or outdoor, and requires no FAA licenses. And though it is far from cheap, at a starting point of $899 it is a bargain for everything you get out of it. “As an established innovator in the commercial drone industry, our goal was to take PowerVision’s technology expertise and package it in a form factor that everyone interested in flying a drone could relate with and enjoy immediately,” said Wally. “We designed PowerEgg to be the consumer drone for everyone. It’s sleek, compact and portable but also easy to operate, making it simple for anyone to launch and capture special moments on camera.”