Robotic personal photographer unveiled

Sony's self-snapping camera dock

Everyone hates people who insist on photographing everyone and everything at parties. Now, thanks to Sony, you can replace them…with a robotic photographer.

Sony's Party-shot snaps pictures on your behalf

The Japanese electronics giant’s Party-shot personal photographer – also known as the IPT-DS1 – is essentially a self-rotating camera dock that covertly snaps pictures of its surroundings, whether you’re enjoying a family barbeque or having a housewarming.

Simply dock your camera onto Party-shot and it will pan 360° and tilt 24°, automatically detecting faces, adjusting the image composition and, of course, taking photos of you when you’re least aware.

Party-shot rotates and tilts by itself

Shigehiko Nakayama, Sony’s Product Manager for digital imaging accessories, said: “Party-shot captures candid moments that tell natural life stories”.

The downside is that you’ll have to own a Sony compact camera in order to use the robotic docking station, which currently is only compatible with the recently launched WX1 and DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot cameras.

Party-shot can be mounted on almost any tripod, Sony stressed, so you’ll be able to enjoy lots of varied photographic heights and angles. The dock is powered by two AA batteries, which will keep it going for up to 11 hours.

Up to 11 hours of automatic snapping

Sony’s Party-shot dock will be available in September, priced at roughly $150 (£88/€104). ®