Manufacturers have been attempting to eliminate the camera notch on smartphone screens using motorized popup cameras for the past few of years. Some companies are experimenting with in-display cameras, while others are focusing on more extreme solutions, such as Vivo’s newly published patent for a smartphone with a camera drone. The patent has been filed in December 2020 with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and is titled ‘Electronic device’ for Vivo Mobile Communication.
A drawing included in the filing depicts a small compartment on the smartphone’s top edge where the detachable camera may be slid in and out. This camera includes four rotors to get it up in the air, a battery compartment for solo flying, and a dual camera system, with one sensor recording film above and the other below.
The camera system inside the smartphone, as well as the mounting bracket, can fall out fully from the housing, according to the patent.
Multiple infrared sensors are installed on the camera module’s edges to calculate the distance to other objects and avoid collisions. The flying camera can be operated using the smartphone to which it is connected, and it is likely to enable air gestures as well, according to the patent.
Vivo is still working on its early designs. Even if the corporation were to create a product that had this technology, it could include various adjustments or upgrades, which is too early to anticipate or speculate about.
