Canon has launched a new camera that automatically takes photos in the home using facial recognition.
The PowerShot PX, which is released in the UK and Europe today for £449.99 (€500), is like having 'your own personal photographer', but scaled down into a five-inch-tall device.
It automatically captures still imagery and video and can 'prioritise certain faces' – such as for someone's birthday party.
The camera can pan, tilt and zoom into a scene in the home, whether it's a 'spontaneous family dance-off' or friends around the dinner table.
While Canon claims that the new camera is ideal for families, it has been widely criticised on social media, with many users branding it 'creepy'.
Would you allow the PowerShot PX in your home? The device knows when to automatically capture still imagery and video
The device automatically takes photos of you and your family, it also lets you capture shots by voice command whenever you want, by saying 'Hello Pixie, take a picture!'
The device has built-in Wi-Fi to connect to the home network, as well as Bluetooth, so users can view all photos and video on the app.
Users can also use the app to turn their phone into a remote control for PowerShot PX, letting them 'compose the perfect shot' without having to get up and reposition it.
'With this clever camera, families can enjoy the moment and still capture it, without having to stay behind the lens,' Canon says.
'PowerShot PX uses auto-subject searching to keep loved ones in the frame and capture photos that otherwise might have been missed.'
When on, 'intelligent face tracking' allows the camera to detect exactly when to take a photo automatically, without any manual or vocal command from the owner.
One way it knows to take a shot is when it detects faces in close proximity to each other, all clustered together facing forward – an indication to the technology that subjects are posing for a photo.
Alternatively, users can capture shots by voice command by saying 'Hello Pixie, take a picture!', or take photos in a more traditional, manual way by controlling PowerShot PX via an accompanying app, available for both iOS or Android.
Content is saved to an SD card inside PowerShot PX. Users can use the compatible smartphone app
