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Meet Spelfie, the space selfie app Credits: Social Media
By Jack Turley

Meet Spelfie, the space selfie app

By Jack Turley

Glasgow-based Spelfie.com has been ranked the 17th most innovative new tech business in the world. So, whats the fuss? And whats the point of a space selfie?

Stellar company 

TechRound100 compiles a list of the most exciting new start-ups in the world. Fellow finalists this year included the now ubiquitous Zoom. Top spot went to Too Good To Go, who work with restaurants and bakeries to prevent unnecessary food waste at the close of the business day. 

Spelfie was Scotlands sole entry on the list and has been described as Google Earth Live. Think of it as the longest selfie stick imaginable. 

So, I can see my face from space? 

Sadly, no. 

The idea is that on a clear day you take a selfie (from Earth, a normal selfie) and the app then combines yours with a real-time satellite image taken from space. 

Though the optical cameras cant yet resolve a face, the satellites are capable of pictures with less than a metre of detail. Individual cars or tents, for example, could therefore be captured at a festival. 

An example Spelfie. Image credit: Spelfie Ltd.

While this might seem a bit pointless, your nan probably said the same about Facebook at one point, and now it has the power to influence elections. So, who knows? 

Space-age digital marketing 

For engaging fans at big events, Spelfie is an exciting new digital marketing prospect. Whilst the main target audience is major sporting and cultural events, the company is also in discussions with tourist boards, who could use the app for promotional purposes. 

The app is free to download and use, and partners with Airbus satellites to capture Spelfies. After taking an Earth selfie at a confirmed event, users wait for their Spelfie to land from space on the same day. 

Eco-activism 

The first Spelfie was revealed in the BBC documentary Saving Our Beautiful Bali. Taken by teenage environmental campaigner Isabel Wijsen, it was used to raise awareness about the environmental issue of plastic pollution on Bali’s beaches.

The first ever Spelfie. Image credit: Spelfie Ltd. and Isabel Wijsen.

CEO Chris Newlands explains The power of a Spelfie can help raise awareness globally, encouraging others to join in and want to make a difference too, just as Isabel did for the Bye Bye Plastic Bags movement in Bali. 

So, there you have it. Space selfies are the next big thing. Pass it on.