The ‘Nixie’ wearable drone camera wins Intel’s Make it Wearable competition

PUT this on your wish list right now: a wearable piece of hi-tech that enables you take a better selfie.

Nixie, the world's first ‘wearable camera that can fly' has just been announced as the winner of the $500,000 grand prize in Intel's Make it Wearable competition.

Press a button and the device — which resembles a state-of-the-art wristwatch — releases itself from your arm and unfolds into an X-shape, with a rotor on each of its four coers and a swivelling camera in the centre.

It then takes flight, all the while taking photos or recording video, and using motion sensors to avoid obstacles.

You can set a timer for when you want Nixie to retu to your wrist or summon it back by simply gesturing with your hand, catching it and putting it back on your wrist.

The project, led by Stanford University physics researcher Dr Christoph Kohstall, beat out a low-cost robotic hand built by a UK team and a smart glove designed by a German group to take out the top prize.

A prototype has been developed, but don't get too excited about the idea of having your own eye in the sky — no date has yet been set for when Nixie will be flying on to the shelves.