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Posts Tagged ‘Skydio’

Skydio 2 is a $999 4K autonomous drone that will keep DJI on its toes

02 Oct

After teasing it back in July, and promising availability for Fall, American drone manufacturer, Skydio, has today announced the release of the Skydio 2. A more compact, lightweight, autonomous drone with a superior camera, compared to its predecessor, the R1, it is going after the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Air markets.

The Skydio 2 retails at a competitive price point of $ 999. A 12MP camera, mounted on a 3-axis gimbal and built around Sony’s IMX577 1/2.3” CMOS sensor with Qualcomm’s RedDragon™ QSC605 technology, can deliver up to 4K/60p HDR video. Using 45 megapixels of visual sensing from six 200° color cameras, the drone can detect obstacles in every direction and avoid them. This is Skydio’s foundation for truly autonomous flight, an ‘Onboard AI’ that powers the ‘Skydio Autonomy Engine.’

The drone can reach a maximum autonomous speed of 36 mph and can remain in the air for 23 minutes with up to 3.5 km wireless range. To compare, the DJI Mavic 2 series can fly up to 45 mph remain air bound for up to 31 minutes. Nevertheless, Skydio is also selling the fact their latest release is 50% smaller, lighter, and quieter than the R1.

There are three ways to fly the Skydio 2. The Beacon (an additional $ 149) will extend communication range up to roughly 1 mile (1.5 km) and enable the drone to follow you through obstacles, even when it can’t see you. You can use the Beacon’s drag and drop controls to reposition the drone in the sky and access modes including Dronie, Rocket, and Orbit for smooth, cinematic shots.

The drone can also be controlled via smartphone with the Android or iOS app. You can access AI modes including the ones mentioned above along with Cable Cam and Sport mode. Photos and video clips can be downloaded and saved directly to the phone for instant sharing. The remote control, also an additional $ 149, extends the range to over 2 miles (3.5 km) and is ideal for those who want to manually maneuver the drone with joysticks.

Skydio manufactures and repairs its drones in the same Redwood City, California, location as its designers and engineers work. They are so confident in its ability to maneuver around obstacles and operate autonomously that they will replace or repair any Skydio 2 for free, granted it was flown within the company’s Safe Flight guidelines.

You can reserve a Skydio 2 today for $ 100. They are expected to start shipping out within the month.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Skydio releases sample footage captured with its upcoming Skydio 2 drone

07 Aug

Last month, California-based drone manufacturer Skydio teased a follow up to their premier R1 model. Slated for release this Fall, the company recently updated email subscribers with more details about what they’re calling the ‘Skydio 2,’ presumably for the time being. The reel, above, demonstrates some of the new drone’s capabilities including the ability to navigate and fly through numerous obstacles, track subjects, and even perform a 360° spin.

Besides being able to fly autonomously and avoid obstacles, the ‘Skydio 2’ will also boast a breakthrough algorithm that can determine ‘where and how to fly to get the most stunning cinematic shots possible.’ Perhaps this ability was referenced in the second frame as the ‘Skydio 2’ gradually pulled away from a single beachgoer to reveal a stunning tropical island.

With the R1, Skydio positioned itself as a drone maker for consumers and enthusiasts. Using Nvidia’s onboard computer, the same technology that powers self-driving cars, the R1 can map it surroundings, avoid obstacles in every direction and track a single subject. Remote pilots can launch and fly effortlessly with this built-in technology.

Now, with the ‘Skydio 2,’ the focus has shifted to quality cinematography. A redesigned camera promises polished, professional-grade video. This, alone, makes it a huge improvement from its predecessor. If they offer it up in a compact, light-weight frame with increased battery life, they’ll have created the consumer-grade drone to beat.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Skydio under fire for promoting illegal drone footage

08 Apr
Photo of Grand Prismatic Spring, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, courtesy of Don Kawahigashi. Drone use is illegal in all national parks.

California-based drone manufacturer, Skydio, is under investigation after promoting its proprietary ‘true follow-me’ feature with footage of a rollerblader gliding along a West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalk in Yellowstone National Park.

Operating a drone is illegal in all national parks. So is in-line skating on their respective boardwalks. Skydio’s social media manager geo-tagged Iceland as the location where the video was shot, not Wyoming. ‘Thermal tour a la rollerblade,’ read the caption in the post that was viewed over 10,000 times in one week. Users quickly caught on to the discrepancy in location and the video was removed from the company’s feed.

Some commenters were put off by the misuse of the location tag. ‘Super dishonest,’ Instagram user and avid drone photographer @justin_mcvideo posted. ‘I was following this account, but no more. Shame.’

Skydio R1 drone

Yellowstone National Park law enforcement rangers learned of the video’s existence and, according to park spokeswoman Morgan Warthin, have not made any determinations. ‘They are aware, and they will investigate it,’ Warthin said. ‘What’s important to recognize is that there are so many incidents of drone use that we deal with. Visitors using drones in Yellowstone is a problem.’

In 2018, alone, there were around 40 illegal drone flights that were brought to the attention of Yellowstone rangers. A significant portion resulted in citations, and some of those required a mandatory court appearance. Fines amounted to over $ 1,000 per offending pilot.

Skydio was founded in 2014 by three MIT graduates. The CEO and CTO were early engineers at Project Wing, Google’s drone delivery effort. Their flagship product, the R1 consumer drone, uses NVIDIA’s AI supercomputer and 13 onboard cameras to autonomously fly and avoid obstacles in every direction. According to Crunchbase, the company has raised $ 70 million in 4 rounds of funding as of February, 2018. Representatives for Skydio have not released an official statement regarding this investigation.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Skydio R1 autonomous camera drone gets four new cinematic modes in update

31 May

The Skydio R1 aerial “self-flying camera” received its first major software update today, gaining four new cinematic modes: Quarter Lead, Quarter Follow, Car Follow, and Car Tripod. Skydio underscores the new Car Follow mode as the biggest new feature, one that enables the drone to follow vehicles autonomously while capturing footage.

Talking about the software update is Skydio CEO Adam Bry, who said, “With Skydio R1, cinematography becomes a software defined experience. That means we can regularly introduce fundamentally new capabilities over time for all existing and future users.”

The R1 is billed as an advanced autonomous device thanks in part to the NVIDIA Jetson AI supercomputer powering the device. According to Skydio, the Car Follow feature is made possible via neural networks trained using automobile image datasets.

In addition to the new operation modes, R1’s software update optimizes the Skydio Autonomy Engine prediction system to enable more intelligent obstacle handling. The drone’s companion mobile app has received UI improvements that simplify accessing the new cinematic modes, and the update also improves the landing experience by showing operators exactly where the drone will land.

The Skydio R1 is available through Skydio’s website for $ 2,499 USD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Skydio R1 4K camera drone boasts game-changing autonomous tech

16 Feb

California-based company Skydio has announced the R1, a drone described as a “self-flying camera” that autonomously follows and records a subject. Unlike some competing models, R1 was built specifically for autonomous flight; it is able to fly itself at up to 25mph / 40kph while maneuvering around obstacles thanks in part to Skydio’s Autonomy Engine.

While many drones depend on GPS for autonomous flight, Skydio’s R1 is different—it features 13 cameras that work with the Autonomy Engine to perceive and map the world around the UAV. Skydio packed an NVIDIA Jetson AI supercomputer into R1, and the little drone is using it to power intelligent features like real-time movement planning and complex environment navigation.

Here’s a quick intro video that explains how it’s all done:

Users launch the drone in either Side, Follow, or Orbit modes using the companion mobile app. No manual operation is necessary, and in fact, Skydio claims that users can move through complex environments, such as dense woods, without interrupting the R1’s tracking and recording abilities. Skydio goes so far as to claim R1 is “the most advanced autonomous device—of any kind—available today.”

Skydio goes so far as to claim R1 is “the most advanced autonomous device—of any kind—available today.”

The R1, which is small enough to fit in a backpack, is made with carbon fiber and lightweight aluminum. The drone’s primary camera can record subjects at Full HD/30/60fps and 4K/30fps with a 150-degree FOV. The primary camera is isolated from vibrations, stabilized with a 3-axis gimbal, and joined by 64GB of onboard storage. The remaining 12 cameras provide omnidirectional vision for navigation.

Skydio R1 is available now in the United States and Canada through the company’s website for $ 2,500 USD. Buyers are currently limited to one unit with orders shipping 2 to 3 weeks after being placed. To learn more, head over to the Skydio website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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