Lily's selfie drone racks up $34 million in pre-orders

Pre-orders for Lily's smart camera drone have reached $34 million, equaling 60,000 units according to Forbes. The so-called "selfie drone" is slated to arrive this summer.

After throwing Lily into the air, the device will automatically start flying, following you and recording video in full HD (1080p) at 60 frames per second and take 12-megapixel photos. The company says there's no need for a controller, as the camera will follow you at distances between 5-100 feet, and it can fly anywhere from 5-50 feet about your head. By keeping a small tracking device on your person, the drone will know exactly where you are and keep its camera aimed at you at all times.

Lily's battery is rated to last 20 minutes of flight time. It weighs 2.8 pounds is said to be waterproof, so it should be able to handle a little rain. Maximum speed is 25mph, and it's about as big as a thick textbook, making it easy to slip into a backpack.

While the flying camera doesn't have collision detection, it stays well above head level. If you think Lily is heading toward a tree or other obstacle, you can hit a button on the tracking device to make it stop and hover, but it will continue to keep its camera fixated on you.

Right now, the selfie drone market is pretty limited, with the major competitor being the Hexo+. Lily is a bit cheaper if you don't already have a GoPro camera, and but it's smaller and flies a few minutes longer. Both will have to be registered through the FAA if the recent drone-centered proposal is put into law.

The current pre-order price is $799 and will gradually increase to its final retail price of $999.