TheCreatorsProject interviewed a member of IOCOSE, a group of Italian artists who are staging drone selfies to imagine the technology in a future time of peace:
Traditionally, the selfie is taken by holding your arm out and pointing a camera at one’s self; the act attempts to find a personal ‘best angle,’ and change self-representations at will. Doing it through a mirror becomes a more self-reflexive and confronting action, where the mirror of reality flips one’s representation but does not alter it. Do you see the drones as confronting themselves, or presenting their own images?
Funny that you mentioned that, because actually we discussed the opportunity of developing this project further, mounting a mechanical arm on drones that will allow them to find their best angle. However, most drones in commerce come with a built-in camera, so if they were to take selfies of themselves, their easiest option would be to use those. The fact that the outcome looks kind of awkward adds an interesting layer to the images, as it captures the (failed) attempt of technology to mimic human behavior. We imagined drones using their skills and potentialities in different and unusual ways, flying just for the sake of jogging and using their built-in camera for trivial purposes. Our drones are definitely presenting their own images, taking photos to create and promote their public image. We cannot really say whether they like themselves. They are not humans, after all.