Continuing a recent trend of ambitious camera developments going the crowd funding route to launch their new product, Obsbot’s Tail Air streaming camera is perhaps the shining example of innovative technology being supported by a community of creators looking for its new features.
In this case, the Obsbot Tail Air 4K PTZ camera is squarely aimed at streaming content creators and promises to bring some of the latest and most advanced AI-powered autofocus and tracking technology to the market.
Let’s take a look at this tiny, yet powerful, compact 4K streaming camera and the AI powering all of its various features to see if it might be right for you and your streaming-centric video projects.
Introducing the Obsbot Tail Air
Alright, let’s take a look at this new Obsbot Tail Air camera and all of its AI-powered capabilities. Designed as a PTZ camera, which basically means that it’s able to pan, tilt and zoom, the Tail Air offers some solid specs and features. The camera itself can record 4K UHD video at up to 30 frames per second as well as 1080p at 60 frames per second.
As you can see in some of the examples below, it’s a great option for a streaming camera for Twitch streamers or content creators looking to attach a camera to their computer or home studio setups. It offers video output and interface connections including micro HDMI, USB-C and Ethernet ports so you should be able to plug it in to whatever you normally would use.
The Tail Air PTZ camera contains a Type 1/1.8 CMOS image sensor with a two-micron pixel size, which shoots through the camera’s eight-piece 23mm lens with an f/1.8 maximum aperture. The Tail Air also offers its own battery life which can run up to 2.5 hours of continuous shooting. You can use the camera via a remote controller that lets you customize aspects like motion from afar as well.
AI Powered Focus and Tracking
Still, the most interesting aspect of this new streaming camera is the AI at the heart of its intelligent design. The Obsbot Tail Air offers automatic subject tracking which you can use for yourself (or other humans) as well as for animals or objects which you task it to follow.
With its pan, tilt and zoom functions the Tail Air can further track your subject and keep them in-frame and in-focus even as the subject is moving around. And while there are cameras that can offer this currently, this sounds like it’s got some innovative tech powering the whole thing.
The Obsbot Tail Air utilizes a time-of-flight system that makes use of infrared beams to measure the distances between your subjects and the camera. The camera’s internal AI then processes this information and adjusts elements like focus and movement accordingly.
Price and Specs
Overall, while the technology (and crowdfunding story) behind this Tail Air camera are indeed quite interesting, it’s probably only a real option for content creators looking to fully utilize its streaming-focused capabilities for similar-minded projects.
Still, even if you’re a streamer or content creator that already has a solid setup, with only a $500 price point the Obsbot Tail Air could be a great second camera or part of a multi-cam operation since you can rely on its AI to operate it without monitoring.
If you’re curious about this new camera and would like to check it out, here are the specs and a link to pre-order it below.
- Compact 4K USB PTZ Webcam with 4x Zoom
- 1/1.8" CMOS, 6-Axis Gyro, 2-Axis Gimbal
- AI Subject Tracking, NDI|HX3 Support
- 8-Element Lens with f/1.8 Aperture
- Built-In MEMS Mics, Mic Input, Tally LED
- Infrared Time-of-Flight Target Tracking
- Dual Omnidirectional Microphones
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C Host Connection
- Control with Free OBSBOT Software
OBSBOT Tail Air AI-Powered PTZ Streaming Camera
After raising over $1 million on Kickstarter, Obsbot’s compact 4K streaming camera is here with some impressive new AI-powered features.
