The age of selfie sticks may finally be coming to an end, thanks to a new gadget that lets you take pictures hands-free.

Snap, the parent company of the photo-sharing app Snapchat, has unveiled a flying drone camera called Pixy.

Now available to purchase in both the United States and France, the palm-sized 101g mini drone is a companion camera for the photo-sharing app.

There isn't a remote controller or slot for an SD (memory) card - users simply power the drone on, hold it in the palm of their hand at eye level, and it will take off and follow them around snapping rapid photos and videos which are sent to the user's Snapchat gallery.

Snap chief executive officer, Evan Spiegel, says the Pixy is a way of capturing photos focused on people using drones.

He told The Verge: "I think Pixy opens up a whole new space here because your smartphone can't fly. You can get a totally new and different perspective. And so, in that way, I think Pixy is meaningfully better than what your smartphone can create."

Due to the device's very light weight, it isn't ideal to use during rainy or windy weather outdoors. The company also warns people against using it over water and shiny surfaces, which could confuse the drone into crashing.

The Pixy drone has so far had a positive reception, with people praising how “fun” it is and the palm landing feature. Its 12-megapixel camera can take up to 100 videos or 1000 photos, which means you'll have to clear its storage occasionally. The Pixy costs £200 ($249).