The £2,000 drone that walks your pooch for you

UK-based gadget retailer DronesDirect is offering a bizarre variant of the DJI Phantom 4 drone that can walk your dog without you needing to pilot it.

Dog owners looking for a more high-tech solution to the conventional walk can ask the online retailer to produce a "customised drone fitted with a retractable leash and built-in collision avoidance to stop it smashing into things", says The Sun.

Users will need to enter the route into their smartphone, the newspaper says, "before sitting back while your drone takes your dog out for a walk."

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The canine companion, which costs £1,999, can "stay airborne for 30 minutes" and "has a range of up to 2km", says The Mirror. It will also "live-stream the entire walk to your mobile phone" using its built-in camera.

Mark Kelly, the company's marketing chief, says: "The launch of the innovative Dog Drone is a great alternative for pet owners who lead busy lives by giving the option of hands-free walking."

But the Daily Mail says it's "unlikely to be able to accurately detect when your pet stops, which could mean it is dragged along unwillingly."

It also says it's "illegal for a drone to go out of view", so users would still need to walk with their dog to use it.

Nevertheless, the retailer told the newspaper that the product is the "real deal" and not a PR stunt.

The Dog Drone is available to order from DronesDirect for £1,999, making it around £900 more expensive than the regular DJI Phantom 4.