Within the world of robots and drones, there is a growing trend toward tailing you—with your permission in this case. It's great for recreational use, where unmanned aerial vehicles, equipped with GoPro cameras, create mesmerizing video selfies for far less than the cost of renting a helicopter and hiring a film crew.

3D Robotics' Iris+ drone and its DroidPlanner 2.0 software have a "Follow Me" mode for just these kinds of shots, as do models from Hexo+ and AirDog. And this being the mobile era, the Iris+ and Hexo+ work their magic by connecting to your smartphone and using its GPS data as a flight plan. The AirDog system requires wearing or carrying a little wireless module called an AirLeash.

Follow the leader

Such tech makes sense in a drone, but more and more terrestrial machines are adopting "follow the leader" functions. For example, the CaddyTrek schleps your clubs around the golf course by tracking a belt-mounted module that doubles as a remote control.