Like a well-trained dog, the HEXO+ follows you faithfully wherever you go. But it doesn't walk beside you-it's airborne.

Developed by a French start-up, Squadrone System, the six-rotor HEXO+ - which handily totes a GoPro video camera - is billed as the first autonomous small drone for the mass market.

It's also a prime example of the many ways in which automation will take to the sky as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, become part of daily life in the not-too-distant future. Due out in May 2015 with a planned retail price of $899, the HEXO+ is targeted at extreme sports enthusiasts looking for a way to immortalize their every move.