Billed as being a "personal photographer", the Party-shot DS1 doesn't look a whole lot different to a camera cradle at first glance. Unlike most photographers we've met, it's small, silver, and you can plug either the Sony WX1 or Sony TX1 digital cameras into the top of it. Flip it over and glance at the base, though, and a compartment for two AA batteries plus a tripod mount suggest there's more to this than just another camera cradle.

So - what does it do? Once powered on with either camera mounted in its custom-fit tray on top of the Partyshot IPT-DS1, the purpose for the batteries becomes clear. The Sony IPT-DS1 operates autonomously, panning the camera through a full 360 degrees horizontally, and tilting it upwards or downwards through a 24 degree angle. The Sony DS1 literally takes control of your camera, whose Face Detection is used to watch for potential subjects, and whose Smile Shutter function is then used to automatically trigger the shutter. The idea is that at parties and the like, you can simply set your camera and the Sony Party-shot device on a tabletop, tripod or wherever is convenient and then leave the combination to automatically capture images.

Sony Cyber-shot TX1 digital camera on the Party-shot IPT-DS1 dock. Photo provided by Sony Electronics Inc.

Obviously the idea only works at gatherings where you can trust everyone to leave your expensive camera where you placed it, but in theory the intelligence of the hardware frees the photographer up to go and join in the fun, rather than spending the evening isolated behind the viewfinder (or rather, the LCD display). Instead, you just have to pop by now and then to check you've not run out of flash memory or battery power, and perhaps to move the camera to a new location for a different perspective on your gathering. Gadget-lovers the world over are likely drooling at the very thought. For the rest of us, the practicality remains to be seen - but it's certainly a neat idea.

Rear view of the touch-screen TX1 mounted on the Party-shot IPT-DS1 dock. Photo provided by Sony Electronics Inc.

We don't currently have detailed specifications or information on precisely how the IPT-DS1 operates. Sony is rating the DS1 as good for eleven hours of operation on its pair of AA batteries, and will separately offer an AC adaptor. It isn't clear whether this will only power the DS1 dock itself, or provide power to the attached camera as well. There is also a video output connection, but precise specifications on its functionality aren't available. Unfortunately, it seems that the DS1 can't double as your regular camera dock, since there is no USB connection with which to transfer data to your computer.

The Sony Party-shot IPT-DS1 will be available from September 2009, priced at $150.

Both Cyber-shot TX1 and Party-shot DS1 mounted on a small tripod. Photo provided by Sony Electronics Inc.