When unmanned aerial vehicle makers and gimbal engineers get together they like to have a few beers and make something like the SMOVE. Designed to connect to a regular smartphone the SMOVE is basically a steadicam for your iOS or Android device, allowing you to take steady shots in rough conditions, follow faces in front of the camera, and even take seamless panoramas.
The SMOVE team “is comprised of design experts and makers of unmanned aerial vehicles” who built gimbals and self-leveling systems for flight.
It costs $129 on Indiegogo and it will ship in December.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-WvTFhx4I0]
The system works by keeping the phone level at all times. As you can see from the above video, the phone can rotate around its axis, remaining stationary in space. It also has “Auto Face Follow” that can detect and follow faces. A built-in power back will keep your phone charged during the ordeal.
“Our team has previously manufactured high performance flight controller systems, smart gimbal systems for aircraft, and handheld stabilizing gimbals,” said Matt Sandy, company representative. “We wanted to make the smartest, and most intelligent – and affordable – gimbal for everyday users.”
I’ve seen a few of these already but none of them seem to be as cheap or as unique. Steadicam features are great for folks who actually want to use their phones to create cinematic masterpieces or, barring that, acceptable video. The team has worked in the video space for years – some of them built the Parashoot, one of the first bodycams – and this looks like a fun way to keep your shots steady.
