Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro Turns Your iPhone into a Pan/Tilt Camera
Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit turns a user’s iPhone into a pan/tilt video camera.
The stand follows a person’s face and body across up to 360 degrees of rotation and 90 degrees of tilt using “smooth, quiet” motors. The battery-powered stand delivers up to five hours of operation on a single charge. Belkin hopes it will be the ideal solution for FaceTime, video recording, and hands-free livestreaming and video conferencing.
The device includes a single button to activate and deactivate tracking and promises simple pairing to a device using NFC. The stand is fully integrated with iOS and delivers 15W MagSafe wireless charging, too.
As NewsShooter notes, there are numerous dedicated PTZ camera solutions on the market. Canon has a professional 4K PTZ camera that’s available for $2,000, for example, and the recent and much more affordable Obsbot Tail Air recently launched after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
What makes Belkin’s new solution a bit more intriguing is that it doesn’t have a built-in camera and instead relies on the excellent cameras available in a person’s iPhone. Although many of the product images show a person using the front-facing camera on their phone, which is perfectly acceptable for FaceTime, the iPhone’s rear cameras are where the handheld really shines, and those are also usable with the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand.
“The Stand Pro is unlike any other Belkin product we’ve created. Combining premium Belkin quality, impressively responsive robotics, and advanced subject tracking technology with DockKit, we’re excited to provide content creators with a thoughtfully designed product that will effortlessly enhance the creation process,” says Melody Tecson, Belkin’s vice president of product management. “We are proud to deliver the world’s first DockKit-enabled accessory, and we look forward to bringing more content creation products to market.”
Users can place the Belkin stand on their desk as is, and it is easily powered via USB-C, or they can attach it to a tripod. The device is compatible with a wide range of iPhone devices running iOS 17, including the family of iPhone 15 devices, alongside iPhone 12, 13, and 14 smartphones.
The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit is not yet available for purchase, although Belkin says it will be available to pre-order later this month. Users can view the complete specifications and sign up for an email notification on Belkin’s website.
Image credits: Belkin
