XbotGo Chameleon Review
The importance of being AI…
My XbotGo Chameleon AI Sports Cameraman on the T1 Tripod with remote control
I normally don’t review any product that doesn’t have at least a six-word name, so I had to think very carefully before writing about the XbotGo Chameleon AI Sports Cameraman! And just to be clear, it’s not actually a ‘cameraman’ but a camera holder for sports photography. I realise that doesn’t appear to have much to do with wildlife, but I’ve been trying to find a good way of taking stills and video at the same time during game drives, and I thought this might fit the bill. Let’s see…
First Impressions
My XbotGo Chameleon AI Sports Cameraman and T1 Tripod in their boxes
When the XbotGo parcel arrived at my door, I was surprised how heavy it was. Admittedly, it also included a tripod, but the XbotGo Chameleon is not a minimalist product. Most local African airlines have strict 15kg weight limits for hand luggage, so I have to pack very light at the best of times. The Chameleon weighs 1.19 lbs (0.54 kg), and the T1 Tripod 1.43 lbs (0.65 kg)—which makes them rather unsuitable to take on safari!
Unboxing was easy enough. The plastic bags weren’t sealed, so I didn’t have to go through the all-too-familiar process of wrestling with the packaging and cutting everything open with scissors or a knife.
This was what was in the two boxes:
1 x XbotGo Chameleon AI Sports Cameraman
1 x XbotGo Chameleon Remote
1 x USB-C cable
1 x XbotGo Chameleon Operation Guide (card)
1 x XbotGo Chameleon AI-powered Sports Tracking Phone Mount User Manual (booklet)
1 x T1 Tripod
1 x T1 Tripod case
My XbotGo Chameleon AI Sports Cameraman and T1 Tripod
The next step was to set it up…and that was a bit of a problem. The Operation Guide was only ~5 cm by ~5 cm, and the orange writing on one of the diagrams was too small for me to read—even with 20:20 vision and in good light!
Like most men, I like to get hands-on with my gadgets rather than read through the whole manual first. I remember living with a couple of guys in Maida Vale years ago. Tom had bought a new camera, and it was sitting in a box on the table. Steve and I got home from work first, and it wasn’t long before Steve had it in his hands and was playing around with the settings. When Tom came home, I thought he’d read Steve the riot act! However, he just picked up the instruction manual and read it cover to cover!
Anyway, I’m far more like Steve than Tom, so the real test is whether I can set something up and start using it without any help from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the Chameleon failed that test. There was an app to download, and then I had to register my details and then attach the Chameleon to the tripod and then unwrap the battery in the remote and then fit my iPhone into the mount, and then, and then…
There were so many steps to go through that I eventually had to give up and read the manual! The main problem was the symbols on the remote control, which were (again!) illegible and confusing.
XbotGo Chameleon Remote
After that, it was hard to know how to control the camera. I set up the FollowMe option using the app, but that was obviously on my phone, which was mounted on the tripod. When I eventually worked out how to use the remote to start and stop video capture, it didn’t seem to be following me at all! In addition, I had no way to see myself on the phone’s screen as it was facing the wrong way. Oh, dear…
Features
According to the XbotGo website, the Chameleon is supposed to turn ‘your smartphone into a relentless AI cameraman built for sports, tracking every sprint, dunk, and goal across 20+ sports like soccer and basketball’. That’s the plan, anyway…
If you’re interested in the product, the best thing you can probably do is watch this YouTube video. In the meantime, here are the main features:
auto tracking
20+ sports modes supported (including soccer, basketball, American football, ice hockey, tennis, golf, skateboarding, lacrosse, handball and pickleball)
key player tracking
jersey number recognition
FollowMe mode
no monthly fees
free 20 GB cloud storage (for 100+ hours of game footage)
live scoreboard
live streaming
immersive 4K HD quality
highlight, edit and share
dual-camera setup
120° ultra-wide-angle lens
up to 8 hours of battery life
Verdict
It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t easily test the Chameleon, but I can see the potential for athletes, coaches or other content creators wanting to record sports events and analyse players’ performances. Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite jibe with my needs!
I’m still looking for a way to take stills and video of wildlife encounters simultaneously, so if you have any ideas, please let me know…
