Unlike the selfie, which often results in the photograph's subjects appearing squashed in at an awkward angle, the company claims the trend will result in high-quality footage. Drones of the future will be able to pilot themselves, following the subject around automatically, he said.

 

"It would be like having a full TV crew with you when you went snowboarding or mountain climbing," Henri Seydoux, Parrot's chief executive, told the Financial Times.

 

Parrot says sales of drones jumped by 130 per cent in the third quarter of the year, taking even the company itself by surprise.

 

"It turned out that in reality people bought the drones because of narcissism. People want to put pictures on YouTube of them looking strong and talented, and that is why people want the cameras," Mr Seydoux said.

 

Drones, or "unmanned aerial vehicles", were once the preserve of technology specialists but have soared in popularity with models on sale for as little as £40 featuring on many must-have gift lists this Christmas.

 

Their increasing mass-market appeal has however led to fears over privacy and safety. It recently emerged that a drone had come close to colliding with a passenger plane at Heathrow this summer.

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