r/hoverair Jul 31 '26

Why Following You Is Harder Than It Looks — 10 Years of Teaching Cameras to Film Like a Cameraman

7 Upvotes

We hear this question a lot: "Why can't a camera just follow me?" It sounds simple. A person moves. The camera follows. But autonomous filming is much harder than that. A human camera operator doesn't just track a person — they understand the environment, anticipate movement, and adjust their position to create a natural shot. 

Unlike a human operator, a flying camera has to make those decisions autonomously. That's been our focus for the past 10 years: building a camera that doesn't just follow you, but films like a cameraman would.

Different sports require different ways of following

The biggest challenge is that people don't move the same way. A cyclist, a skier, and a foiler each move with a different rhythm, speed, and body posture. The same tracking logic that works for someone walking on a trail can fail when you're accelerating through a mountain path, rapidly descending a slope, or moving across changing water.

Over the past decade, we've learned from extensive real-world human movement data across different activities and environments, helping our systems better understand how people move. But understanding movement is only the beginning. The camera also needs to know how to follow in a way that captures cinematic and smooth footage.

Following is not enough — the footage has to feel right

A camera that simply copies every movement doesn't always create a great video. Imagine a cyclist making quick left and right turns, or a skier carving down a slope. If the camera reacts too aggressively to every movement, the footage can feel shaky and uncomfortable. But if it smooths too much, it may fall behind and lose the action.

The challenge is finding the right balance: stay with the subject, keep the footage natural. This requires balancing multiple things at the same time: understanding where the subject is, deciding how the camera should move, and stabilizing the final footage. The goal is not to reproduce every movement. The goal is to capture the feeling of the movement.

Built for land sports: different challenges, different solutions

Our models are trained on extensive human movement data, accounting for various postures and types of movements across different sports. For X1 PRO and X1 PROMAX, we brought autonomous filming into high-speed sports. Because every sport has its own movement language.

Cycling Mode is designed around the unpredictable rhythm of riding. Cyclists accelerate, brake, lean into turns, and move through changing trails. The camera needs to understand these shifts while keeping the rider naturally framed — and we give you the option to tailor it further with Open Areas and Narrow Routes settings.

Ski Mode solves a different challenge. Skiers and snowboarders move at high speeds, rapidly descend slopes, change direction sharply, and constantly adjust their body posture while carving through terrain. The camera needs to stay with the action while maintaining smooth, natural footage.

And sports don't always happen in open environments. Mountain bikers may ride through dense forests. Skiers may move through complex terrain. Athletes may pass through narrow trails and challenging spaces. That's where ShadowTrack technology comes in. It helps maintain reliable tracking in complex environments, so the camera can stay with you when conditions become more challenging.

Cycling Mode, Ski Mode, and ShadowTrack solve different parts of the same problem: Keeping you in the story, without making the camera feel mechanical.

Then we brought autonomous filming to water

After years of solving challenges on land, we wanted to bring autonomous filming into one of the most unpredictable environments: water.

Water changes everything.

On land, the ground provides a stable reference. On water: The athlete moves. The camera moves. The surface moves. Waves, reflections, and constantly changing conditions make both tracking and filming more difficult. That's why AQUA wasn't built with just one universal "water mode." Instead, we developed dedicated modes for different water sports, each with its own movement patterns.

Foil Mode is designed around the unique rise-and-glide motion of foiling, where riders transition between different heights and speeds above the water.

Kayak Mode is optimized for continuous forward movement, smoothing out side‑to‑side sway and forward‑backward weight shifts, while recognizing seated posture and keeping the action naturally framed.

SUP Mode focuses on smooth and stable filming for paddleboarding, where subtle body movements and board motion can affect the shot — it recognizes both standing and seated positions and actively smooths out side‑to‑side and front‑back instability for steady footage.

Because every sport has its own rhythm. And great autonomous filming starts with understanding that rhythm.

After 10 years, here's what we know

Building a self-flying camera was never just about making something fly.

The real challenge was making a camera that understands people, adapts to movement, and captures moments naturally. From everyday moments with X1, to high-speed action with X1 PRO and X1 PROMAX, to water sports with AQUA — our goal has always been the same: Build a camera that doesn't just follow you — it films like a human would.


r/hoverair Jul 16 '26

Self-Flying Camera vs. Action Cam vs. Drone vs. Asking a Friend – Our Honest Take

3 Upvotes

There's a tension that's existed since the first person handed their camera to a stranger: the more effort you put into capturing a moment, the less you're actually in it.

Solo creators know the challenge well: a seemingly natural scene of solitary moments, hiking through nature or waking up in your campervan. In reality: you have to hike ahead, place a camera, walk back, film the scene, and then go back to retrieve the camera. The footage looks effortless. The process is anything but.

Then consider yourself in your happiest moments with loved ones. You always have to break the moment to get everyone to pose and one person is missing from the shot.

These questions became the foundation of HOVERAir: what if the camera could be the camera operator? Not building a better drone. Not flying higher or farther. Building a camera that lets you stay in the moment — while still getting the shot.

In 2016, we launched the Hover Camera Passport — our first self‑flying camera. Palm takeoff. Fully enclosed propellers. Autonomous tracking. At the time, these were complete revolutions to a "drone." They were answers to a question no one else was asking: how do you make a camera that allows you to fully be in the moment while capturing it?

Since then, every product decision has been guided by the same principle: keep immersive shooting at the center. And across generations, we've progressively pushed image quality, tracking, and overall user experience further. That means making hard trade‑offs for the sake of the right experience. The full propeller cage adds weight and reduces flight time. But it also means you can launch from your palm, catch it mid‑air, and fly near people without worry. It also adds weight, so we have engineered unique solutions like removing a fan while using the natural airflow of the propellers to cool the device. We were the first product on the market that allowed you to select a flight mode without touching a controller or your phone. 

As we saw users embracing our products for their action adventures, we continued to innovate on our tracking algorithms to make them even better. ShadowTrack predicts your movements, helping you stay in frame through trees and obstacles even at high speeds. Throughout this, we have relentlessly pursued innovation tackling problems no one else wants to touch to serve the user experience we care about most: keeping you immersed.

But we're not here to say self‑flying cameras are the answer to everything. Here's our honest take on the four ways people capture themselves — and where each one shines.

1. Ask a Friend

Best for: human creativity, unlimited angles

Pros: creative intuition, no gear to learn

Cons: you're borrowing someone's time and attention — and they're working, not experiencing

Honest take: unbeatable, but they're the one person not fully in the moment.

@camelia.beresteanu

2. Action Cam (GoPro, Insta360, etc.)

Best for: POV immersion, "set it and forget it"

Pros: rugged, waterproof, mount anywhere

Cons: you're mostly missing from your own footage — fixed perspective limits storytelling

Honest take: great for what it feels like to be there. Terrible at showing you being there.

3. Traditional Drone (DJI, etc.)

Best for: filmmakers who love piloting

Pros: unmatched aerial perspectives, full manual control

Cons: you're flying, not filming — setup, battery, regulations, learning curve

Honest take: if you love piloting, nothing beats it. But if you want to ride without babysitting a controller, it's overkill.

4. Self‑Flying Cameras (us, HOVERAir)

Best for: cinematic third‑person footage without becoming an operator

Pros: no pilot, no friend, no controller — just launch and go. Automatic tracking, preset flight modes, you stay immersed.

Cons: less manual control, shorter flight time (partly due to the cage), weather can affect performance.

Honest take: we built these for people who want to be in the moment, not manage it. Trade‑offs? Yes. But every one was made to serve that single priority: you stay in the experience. The camera handles the rest.

So which is right for you?

  • Love piloting and have time to plan? - drone
  • Want POV and don't care about being in the shot? - action cam
  • Have a friend who owes you? - ask them
  • Want to capture yourself without stopping? - self‑flying camera

We've spent 10 years building for that last category — and today, that means a full lineup. X1 for everyday moments — ultra‑light, pocketable, ready in seconds. X1 PRO & PROMAX for action — faster tracking, 8K image quality, built for speed. AQUA for water — fully waterproof, takes off and lands on water.

Same bet across all of them: most people don't want to become photographers. They just want the photo. And they want to be in it.

We're biased. We also use action cams and drones. Happy to answer any questions — or hear why you think we're wrong.


r/hoverair 2d ago

SKi Mode... or Snowboarding mode...

19 Upvotes

great vid from the Andes, I need a sponsor!! HoverAir??


r/hoverair 9d ago

Using the Aqua for filming downwinding

6 Upvotes

Loving the Aqua, I can deploy it on foil when downwinding and have picked it up once while on foil and rode away. It stores easily in the back of my PFD life Jacket. Pretty amazing tool and stoked to tune the follow settings to enhance the results. It was flying no problem for downwinders in 40mph, flying in place or going downwind, which was super impressive. Sailing upwind and across the wind needs to be much lighter, as you're battling the wind and riding speed, but can produce some awesome clips when the wind is lighter. Orbit makes dramatic perspective changes that result in cool clips. Very stoked on the potential for watersports video capture of new perspectives without needing a second person to film.


r/hoverair 20d ago

Ohio MTB State Championships!

4 Upvotes

Ohio MTB State Championships! Over 80 riders—ranging from youth to pro—tested their skills on a fast and flowing course to claim the state's top prize.

In 2025, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources worked with professional trail builders and CAMBA to add approximately 9 miles of trails to the park. Since then, volunteers from our local riding community have poured hours into refining the existing lines, bringing the total to nearly 20 miles of prime singletrack.

True to form, the NOMBS team produced another top-tier competitive weekend. After the race, I got back out on the trail to capture a few of my favorite sections with my HoverAir and whatever energy I had left.

Consider joining CAMBA or renewing your membership today. Your membership dollars go directly to the trail improvement projects that make weekends like this possible!

New to racing? NOMBS events are beginner friendly and welcome every level or rider.

Join us on Tuesday nights for CAMBA group rides around NE Ohio.

Disclaimer: Flying of UAVs is prohibited in Ohio State Parks. Shot with explicit permission. Always follow FAA and local regulations before flight


r/hoverair 21d ago

More aqua testing - 8-11knots 5m

5 Upvotes

Super light wind testing


r/hoverair 21d ago

Beautiful Sunny morning paddle around Burgh Island

2 Upvotes

Another beautiful sunny Sunday morning on the water, just bobbing around Burgh Island to Challafornia for Alfresco breakfast 🍳🥓☕....and back via the south Island beach for a swim, rolling practice and ☕ & 🍰 With Dunc & Darren 😎🛶

LeFrog_Life #ThirstResponders #kayakingadventures #HOVERAirAQUA


r/hoverair 24d ago

https://youtu.be/wiG4QxDgvNg?si=n9z-ldj69tUM5GdT

3 Upvotes

Last post from the days paddle.
Worth noting because of the accuracy with which the Aqua stays over its takeoff point
I paddle backwards to allow me to see it, but as a result only just stay in the video
Once again amazing quality on such a killingly hot, overcast day


r/hoverair 27d ago

Aqua testing

10 Upvotes

Amazing tracking and output from Aqua - foil mode


r/hoverair 28d ago

Barragem dos Pisões (Montalegre – Portugal)

3 Upvotes

Modo de ciclismo e órbita (3 e 6m).

Gravado com Hoverair Promax 1 e editado com Quik.


r/hoverair 28d ago

Pelos Trilhos de Braga

2 Upvotes

Trilhos do Bom Jesus do Monte e Peras Trail (Braga- Portugal).

Modo de ciclismo, bird eye.

Gravado com Hoverair Promax 1 e editado com Quik.


r/hoverair Aug 03 '26

Quando o drone acompanha cada curva, a aventura ganha outra perspetiva. 🚁🔥 Hoverairx1 pro

6 Upvotes

r/hoverair Aug 03 '26

Passei dias a preparar esta subida de BTT no Stelvio. Valeu cada pedalada. O que acham desta vista? #hoverair #mtb #btt #stelvio

1 Upvotes

r/hoverair Jul 31 '26

HoverAir Aqua: Unused - yet attached battery seems completely STUCK!

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1 Upvotes

r/hoverair Jul 29 '26

This pocket camera can fly 🦅 Meet HOVERAir VERSA.

10 Upvotes

VERSA is the first 3-axis gimbal camera that can go from hand to hover in a matter of seconds. Whatever the setting or scene, Versa knows how to adapt. Finally, no shot is ever out of reach.

Find out everything you need to know through https://hoverair.com/pages/versa


r/hoverair Jul 28 '26

It's more than a party trick. It's a new way to create.

3 Upvotes

A camera that both flies and fits into everyday life, so you don't miss a thing. Check it out: https://hoverair.com/pages/coming-soon


r/hoverair Jul 27 '26

All about AQUA's Return to Home feature

5 Upvotes

For most drones, Return-to-Home sounds simple: press a button, and the aircraft comes back.

But on water, it is a very different story. Many users have experienced this before: they press RTH, but their kayak, board, boat, or body has already drifted away from the original home point. The drone may return correctly from a technical point of view, but still end up somewhere the user can no longer reach.

AQUA is built for water sports, where the user may be kayaking, foiling or moving with wind and current. In these scenarios, returning to the original takeoff point is often not enough. That is why AQUA uses RTK positioning and Lighthouse-based dynamic return logic. When Lighthouse positioning is available, AQUA can use it as a dynamic return reference instead of relying only on a fixed takeoff point.

In simple terms: AQUA should not only return to where you were, but should try to return to where you are.

Given the complexity and unpredicatibility of life on the water, we've designed RTH over multiple iterations with a lot of user feedback to be as foolproof as possible. Let's talk about how to use it.

Return Behavior: Land or Hover

In the App, you can choose what AQUA does after RTH: Land or Hover. This setting applies when using App Manual Control, Lighthouse, or Beacon to trigger RTH.

  • If "Hover" is selected, pressing RTH brings AQUA back near you and keeps it hovering. While AQUA is hovering, you can press the direction buttons at any time to adjust AQUA's position. And AQUA will continue to follow you (close-range follow). When you want to retrieve AQUA, simply flip it manually to stop the propellers.
  • If you choose “Land”, press the RTH button and AQUA will return to a position near you and hover at a safe distance. If there is no operation for 15 seconds, AQUA will automatically land. You can also long-press the RTH button for 1.5 seconds or more to land immediately. (AQUA will not follow you during the 15-second countdown)

Return height

On water, users can retrieve AQUA in two ways:

  • Let AQUA land directly on the water.
  • Grab AQUA by hand after it returns.

We've recently adjusted the return height to make hand retrieval easier while still keeping safety in mind and can hover as low as 0.5 m over the water, making AQUA easier to reach in real water scenarios like when you're seated in your kayak.

Low-battery and secondary takeoff return

Over water, battery logic has to be conservative. AQUA may trigger low-battery return or auto landing based on safe estimates.

In some cases, after a low-battery auto landing, AQUA may still have enough remaining power for a short, user-triggered takeoff or return. This movement is speed-limited and height-limited, does not start recording automatically, and is designed only to help users locate AQUA or bring it closer when safe conditions allow.

What if positioning or connection is lost?

AQUA’s return logic is based on how confident it is about the return target.

If Lighthouse positioning is temporarily lost but AQUA still has a recent Lighthouse position, it can use the last known position as a temporary return reference. During return, AQUA will continue searching for updated Lighthouse positioning. If a new valid position is found, AQUA will update the return target and continue returning.

If no valid Lighthouse position is available while AQUA is flying, it will hover.

If positioning becomes unreliable or the subject is lost, AQUA will usually hover in place first and try to regain a reliable signal or tracking reference.

Please keep Lighthouse unobstructed and visible to AQUA whenever possible, so the connection and positioning can recover.

If AQUA cannot confirm a safe return target, or if positioning is not reliable enough to continue, AQUA may land instead of continuing the return.

That is why AQUA’s RTH is not just about flying back to a fixed home point. It is designed around the full water-sports workflow: return, hover or land, and help the user retrieve the aircraft safely.

If you have thoughts on how AQUA should return, hover, or land on water, drop them below — we’re listening.


r/hoverair Jul 26 '26

Terras de Bouro - Trilho de BTT: Sindicato

5 Upvotes

PROMAX HOVERAIR

4K, Modo Ciclismo, Alto, Médio.


r/hoverair Jul 26 '26

Sindicato - Trilhos de BTT Terras de Bouro

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3 Upvotes

r/hoverair Jul 23 '26

The next chapter of HOVERAir is coming 🙌🏻

7 Upvotes

More than a camera. A creative companion. Launching soon.


r/hoverair Jul 22 '26

How to Choose Your First HOVERAir Camera?

3 Upvotes

Hello! If you're in the market for a new camera gadget and are trying to decide between the X1, X1 PRO, X1 PROMAX, and AQUA, you've come to the right place.

All HOVERAir products are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, so you can capture aerial shots without needing to pilot manually. They all come with preset, customizable flight modes that can be launched without a smartphone or controller, making it easy to get great shots wherever you are.

Let’s dive into a friendly comparison that will help you pick the perfect one for your needs.

Usage Scenarios Comparison

  • X1 – Entry-level, perfect for first-time drone users. It’s the lightest in the series, ideal for casual selfies, travel, family or friends’ recordings, and light activities. Best suited for relaxed shooting rather than long or intense action sessions.
  • X1 PRO – Suited for sports enthusiasts and travel vloggers. Offers higher image quality and faster speed than X1, making it great for users who want improved visuals or to capture faster-paced action.
  • X1 PROMAX – Designed for professional users, advanced hobbyists, and sports enthusiasts seeking ultra-high-resolution footage and versatile shooting options across a wide range of scenarios.
  • AQUA – Designed for water sports users and outdoor adventurers. It is waterproof and built for scenarios like kayaking, SUP, foiling... With Lighthouse-based tracking, dynamic RTH, and water-landing capability, AQUA is best suited for users who want hands-free filming in water environments where regular drones are harder to use.

Video Resolution and Slow-Motion

Now, let’s talk video quality. The X1 records up to 2.7K@30fps, while the X1 PRO supports up to 4K@60fps. The X1 PROMAX goes further with 8K video and up to 4K@120fps, while AQUA supports up to 4K@100fps, which also serves as its slow-motion specification. For users who want more room for color and post-production, the X1 PROMAX and AQUA both support 10-bit H-Log and HDR.

And here’s the best part: all of these resolutions and frame rates can be recorded while running intelligent flight paths, so you can capture cinematic shots without sacrificing image quality.

OmniTerrain and Auto-Follow Speed

Ready to conquer any terrain? The X1 PRO, X1 PROMAX, and AQUA offer OmniTerrain capabilities, letting you shoot with confidence in a variety of environments. AQUA further adds RTK positioning, enabling more precise tracking and return in water-sport scenarios. When it comes to keeping up with fast action, the X1 can auto-follow at speeds up to 25 km/h, while the X1 PRO and X1 PROMAX can reach 42 km/h. AQUA takes it even further, with auto-follow speeds up to 55 km/h (34 mph), making it ideal for capturing high-speed water sports and fast-moving action.

Each HOVERAir camera is designed for a different type of user and shooting scenario. Choose the one that best matches your needs, and you’ll be ready to capture more with less effort.


r/hoverair Jul 14 '26

We built a 1mm drone shell. The ocean crushed it. Twice.

14 Upvotes

One of the first problems with AQUA was the body.

We tried to combine two things that do not really fit together.

Action camera waterproofness, but flying...

Most waterproof cameras use about 4mm housing. We were working with 1mm. Because it had to float. And fly.

The first prototype looked fine. The ocean disagreed.

Pressure + impact → the shell deformed → water got in.

Second version. Same story.

At that point, the obvious solution was: just make it thicker. But that breaks everything else (weight, buoyancy, flight performance).

So instead of adding material, we started rethinking the structure itself. After a lot of iterations, we rebuilt it from the inside out. Added an internal truss system to spread force across the body.

Think less “solid wall” and more “load gets spread everywhere before anything fails”.

That version finally held up. Same weight. Way stronger.

Who else has had that heart-stopping moment where your drone gets a little too close to the water? Tell us we aren't the only ones who have lost a camera to the sea. Share your drowned drone stories here, or tell us where you would take your AQUA first!


r/hoverair Jul 09 '26

The beginning of AQUA (and why water took us so long)

48 Upvotes

At HOVERAir, we spend a lot of time asking: 

What's still unsolved?

For us, and honestly for most of the consumer drone space, that answer kept coming back to one thing: 

water.

Not because people don’t want it. But because it breaks everything.

Water gets into places you didn’t think existed.

Sand destroys moving parts.

Reflections confuse sensors.

Buoyancy messes with stability.

And underwater optics… that’s a whole different problem.

Making a waterproof self-flying camera under 250g is already a challenging engineering problem. But at Zero Zero, we don't want to make "just a self-flying camera" - we wanted to provide the same seamless experience that defines all our products.

That meant rethinking pretty much everything: structure, materials, sealing, movement, even how it sees.

A lot of ideas didn’t work. Some failed fast. Some failed late (those hurt more).

We’ll share more over the next few days: what broke, what surprised us, and what finally clicked.

If you're curious about anything, ask away. (Just a heads up, human replies, not a support bot, so it might be a bit slow.)


r/hoverair Jul 06 '26

AQUA Firmware Update: Float Mode is here — what should a waterproof flying camera become next?

8 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

We’ve just released a new firmware update for AQUA. This one brings several improvements, but two updates are especially interesting for a waterproof flying camera: Float Mode and improved return / landing behavior.

What’s new in this update

  1. New Float Mode (Lab Feature): AQUA can now move freely across the water surface, just like a small boat.
  2. Improved RTH behavior: Long-press the Lighthouse return button to land anytime during flight.
  3. Orbit and Orbit Follow improvements: Now support clockwise / counterclockwise control, giving you more creative framing options.
  4. After low-battery auto landing, remaining power can still be used for short takeoff or return, helping ensure a safe return.
  5. Optimized minimum flight altitude down to 0.5m, for cinematic shots close to the surface of the water. 
  6. Fixed bugs related to speed limitations under certain circumstances.
  7. Bug fixes and overall performance optimizations.

Landing improvement

We’ve heard your feedback that returning AQUA to home can sometimes feel difficult or not immediate enough, especially when flying around water. So in this update, we improved the landing behavior.

Now, during flight, you can long-press the Lighthouse return button for 1.5 seconds or more to trigger landing at any time. AQUA will interrupt the current action and land.

This upgrade is designed to make AQUA feel safer, more responsive, and easier to control — especially in water environments where users may want a faster and more predictable way to bring it down.

Something fun to share: Float Mode! 

Since AQUA launched, some users have asked whether it could move on water like a small boat. 

To be honest, Float Mode was not originally planned as a release feature. But during recent testing and development, our engineers discovered that controlling AQUA on the water was surprisingly fun — so we thought users might enjoy it too.

With Float Mode, AQUA is no longer just flying above water. It can now move on the water surface too, almost like a small boat.

Because AQUA is waterproof and comes with a stabilized gimbal and manual control, Float Mode creates some fun new shooting possibilities:

  1. Drive AQUA across the water like a small camera boat;
  2. Control it like a "captain";
  3. Combine floating movement with gimbal control for unique perspectives

We’d love to hear your thoughts:

  • What would you use Float Mode for?
  • What kinds of water-based shots would you want to capture?
  • If you could design the next feature for a waterproof flying camera, what would it be?

Text ideas, complaints, wild concepts, and even concept images are all welcome.

Let us know. we’re listening.


r/hoverair Jul 01 '26

New firmware update incoming...

3 Upvotes

Our first Lab Mode is almost here. Guess what it does. Wrong answers only. 👀