Note! On January 4, 2022, the developer announced a modified version of the Skydio 2+ drone. The list of key improvements included two additional (in addition to the built-in antennas) external antennas, thanks to which the maximum flight range was increased from 3.5 km to 6 km (when controlling the drone from the remote control; when controlling the Skydio Beacon portable controller, the range also increased from 1.5 km to 3 km), and the drone was equipped with a more efficient battery, increasing the maximum flight time from 23 to 27 minutes. Otherwise, the modified model is no different from its predecessor. To coincide with the announcement of Skydio 2+, the developer also timed the release of a new automatic flight and shooting mode KeyFrame, thanks to which a user of any skill level will be able to shoot cinematic-level video in just a few taps. This mode is available for both versions.
Introduction
Three months ago, the developers of the unique Skydio R1, through a teaser image, turned to everyone who was thinking about buying a drone with a request to postpone the purchase, as they want to announce something more perfect in the near future. There was no doubt that a revolutionary device would be presented without exaggeration, no one who was at least theoretically aware of the capabilities of its predecessor. In short, in practice, the R1 obstacle detection and flight system works in such a way that such eminent models as DJI Mavic Air, Autel Robotics Evo, DJI Mavic 2, “nervously smoke on the sidelines.”
On the first of October the curtain was finally thrown down. As the saying goes: “He who knows how to wait gets the best.” Skydio 2 is a completely redesigned unparalleled drone capable of performing stabilized high-quality aerial photography in intelligent following modes without human assistance, in almost any environmental conditions (indoors, city, forest). It will make the most of where the best angle and quality of shooting is required throughout the entire journey, without problems with management and transportation, and will also serve as an indispensable tool for first responders, providing public safety workers with situational awareness in an emergency with minimal cognitive load. By tradition, let’s start with the features.
Peculiarities
- Flight weight 775 gr
- New portable form factor
- Built on top AI computing platform – NVIDIA Jetson Tegra X2 paired with 256-core Pascal GPU and Denver 2 processor with 4GB RAM
- Satellite positioning: GPS/GLONASS
- Visual Navigation: 6 × 200° 4K cameras arranged in a trinocular configuration (3 top / 3 bottom of the drone)
- Quiet power plant (50% quieter than its predecessor)
- Quick release propellers with folding mechanism
- 12MP 4K HDR camera built on 1/2.3-inch Sony IMX577 CMOS sensor working in tandem with Qualcomm RedDragon™ QSC605
- 3-axis mechanical gimbal (operating range similar to Parrot Anafi gimbal)
- Max. 4K video quality at 60 fps with a bit rate of 100Mbps
- Support for h.264 and h.265 formats
- 4 × control options: Smartphone / Tablet (iOS; Android via Wi-Fi); Portable controller Skydio Beacon; Skydio Remote (developed by Parrot) + Smartphone (Apple Watch control available later)
- Skydio 2 mobile application adapted for quick sharing of footage
- 6 × automatic flight and shooting modes (Orbit/Dronie/Cable Cam/Hover/Angle Track/KeyFrame)
- Max. ceiling above sea level 4570 m
- Max. flight speed in offline mode 58 km/h
- Max. FPV removal distance when controlled by smartphone/tablet 200m
- Max. remote distance when controlling Skydio Beacon 1.5 km
- Max. distance FPV removal when operating control equipment (developed by Parrot) 3.5 km
- Max. flight time 23 min
- Compatible with DroneDeploy (for corporate users)
Equipment
The developer offers a drone in a single configuration:
- Skydio 2
- battery
- 2 spare rotors (1 CW/1 CCW)
- USB-C charging and data cable
- USB-C adapter for charging from a wall outlet
- Transport case
Add. accessories
Specification
Drone
Dimensions (including battery):
223 x 273 x 74mm (L/W/H)
Dimensions (without battery):
223 x 273 x 43 mm (L/W/H)
Transport dimensions. case:
297 × 255 × 65mm (L/W/H)
Weight (including battery):
775 gr
Max. ceiling above sea level:
4572 m
Max. flight time:
23 min
Max. horizontal speed. flight (above sea level in calm weather):
58 km/h
Max. wind speed:
11 m/s (40 km/h)
Slave. temperature range:
-5°С to 40°С
Food
Dimensions:
64.5 × 121.6 × 38.8 mm (L × W × H)
Battery type:
lithium polymer LiPo
Configuration:
3S1P
Energy capacity:
4280 mAh (48.79 Wh)
Rated voltage:
11.4V
The weight:
280 gr
Max. charging current:
13.05V
Operating range temperatures:
-5°C to 40°C
Charging temperature range:
0°C to 35°C
Main camera
Matrix:
Sony IMX577 1/2.3-inch 12.3M CMOS
Active matrix pixels:
4056(H) x 3040(V)
Lens aperture:
f/2.8
Lens focal length:
20 mm (equivalent to 35 mm format)
Depth of field lens:
1m – ∞
Shutter speed:
electronic shutter 1 to 1/1920 s
ISO range:
video:
100-3200
a photo:
100-3200
Image Signal Processor (ISP):
Qualcomm QCS605
GPU:
Adreno™ 615
CPU:
64-bit 8-core Kyro™ 300 processor
Digital Signal Processor (DSP):
Hexagon™ 685, 2x HVX
Video modes and resolution:
3840 × 2160 at 30 fps
3840 × 2160 @ 60 fps
3840 × 2160 @ 48 fps
3840 × 2160 @ 24 fps
1920 × 1080 at 120 fps
1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
1920 × 1080 at 30 fps
Bitrate:
100Mbps
Video format:
MPEG-4 (AVC/H.264, HEVC/H.265)
Photo resolution:
4056×3040 (12MP)
Photo Format:
JPEG/DNG (RAW)
Photo modes:
Single/Interval
Dynamic Range:
13 stops
Data storage:
microSD card UHS Speed Class 3/V30
Mech range stabilization:
pitch ±124°
roll ±120°
yaw ±12.5°
Controlled Pitch Range:
-110° to +45°
Autonomous system
Main Processor:
NVIDIA Tegra X2 SOC
GPU:
256-core NVIDIA Pascal™ GPU
CPU:
Dual-Core NVIDIA Denver 2 64-bit CPU Quad-Core ARM®-A57 MPCore
RAM:
4GB 128-bit LPDDR4
Coverage area of the visual obstacle detection system:
multidirectional top and bottom Super fisheye 360°
Update rate of the 3D world model:
1 million points
The speed of updating the world model to action:
500 iterations per second
Onboard AI:
9 custom deep networks used in flight
User-selectable items to track:
people/cars
Tracking and identification of objects:
up to 10 objects of interest at the same time
Calibration:
automatic online calibration of lens parameters, camera rotations, wind speed and air density.
Cinematic Skills:
Motion Track (relative to subject movement) One Shots (Dronie, Rocket, Boomerang, and Vortex) Cable cam (Single Shot, Loop or Path)
Camera navigation system
Configuration:
6 × 200° 4K cameras arranged in a trinocular configuration (3 top / 3 bottom of the drone)
Matrix:
Sony 1/3″ 4K color CMOS
Lens aperture:
f/1.8
FOV:
200°
Environmental coverage:
True 360°
Frame frequency:
30 fps
Wireless and GPS
FPV Removal Distance When Controlling Smartphone/Tablet:
200 m
FPV Removal Distance When Controlling Skydio Beacon Controllers:
1.5 km
Distance FPV removal when controlled by remote control:
3.5 km
Slave. frequency range:
2.4-2.483GHz
5.18-5.24GHz
5.725-5.85GHz
Channel Width (Standard Wi-Fi):
20, 40 and 80MHz
Channel Width (Skydio Link™):
5 and 10MHz
Satellite positioning:
GPS and GLONASS
skydio beacon
Main
The size:
43×129×19.5mm
The weight:
91.5 gr
Battery capacity:
1460mAh 3.8V
Operating time on one charge:
3 h
USB ports:
USB-C (charging and data transfer)
Operating range temperatures:
-5°C to 40°C
Control functions:
Positioning by dragging
Azimuth adjustment
Tracking Distance Adjustment
Height adjustment
To make a photo
Stopping and holding a position
Access to automatic flight and shooting modes (Orbit/Dronie/Cable Cam, etc.)
Wireless and GPS
Removal distance:
1.5 km
Slave. frequency range:
2.4-2.483GHz
5.18-5.24GHz
5.725-5.85GHz
Channel Width (Standard Wi-Fi):
20, 40 and 80MHz
Channel Width (Skydio Link™):
5 and 10MHz
Satellite positioning:
GPS and GLONASS
Remote Control
Main
Shipping dimensions:
94 × 153 × 71 mm (L × W × H)
Working dimensions:
153 × 153 × 117 mm (L × W × H)
The weight:
386 gr
Operating range temperatures:
-5°C to 40°C
Video link resolution:
720P
Supported iOS/Android mobile devices:
screen size up to 6 inches and tablets with optional adapter
Battery capacity:
2500 mAh 3.6V
Operating time on one charge:
2 hours 30 minutes (Android)
5 hours 30 minutes (iOS)
USB ports:
USB-C (charging and data transfer)
Design and development:
Parrot SA
Wireless and GPS
Removal distance:
3.5 km
Slave. frequency range:
2.4-2.483GHz
5.18-5.24GHz
5.725-5.85GHz
Channel Width (Standard Wi-Fi):
20, 40 and 80MHz
Channel Width (Skydio Link™):
5 and 10MHz
Satellite positioning:
GPS and GLONASS
Appearance
The drone received a new non-folding frame, standard for an unmanned hobby, with a non-standard arrangement of motors on it, where two motors on the front beams look down, and motors on the rear beams look up. Obviously, this approach is associated with providing better visibility of the six navigation cameras.
The developer had to abandon the foldable design of the drone in favor of the flawless obstacle avoidance system, which requires all six cameras responsible for 360-degree visualization to be installed as level as possible relative to each other. To achieve the desired result, immediately after assembly, the system goes through a calibration process.
improved vision
The previous model had twelve. For visual navigation, the S2 employs six 200-degree 4K cameras arranged in a trinocular configuration (3 on top/3 on the bottom of the drone) providing a 360-degree 45MP visual experience with unprecedented resolution and clarity, which is the basis for reliable autonomous flight.
Skydio CEO Adam Bry said: “This has been a very difficult engineering challenge as we moved from traditional global shutter cameras to fisheye rolling shutter cameras, which are very complex from an algorithmic point of view. The key advantage is that at a lower price, we can get much better matrix performance. The metric is simple – we increased the visual experience from 3 megapixels on the R1 to 45 megapixels on the Skydio 2.”
big brain
At the heart of Skydio 2 is the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 (R1 was equipped with TX1), the fastest and most energy efficient embedded AI computing platform, working in tandem with a 256-core GPU capable of 1.3 trillion operations per second. Such powerful computing potential allows Skydio 2 to be called a flying supercomputer.
Camera
Skydio 2 features an all-new, best-in-class camera that Skydio has carefully matched with the Sony IMX577 sensor and Qualcomm RedDragon™ QSC605 sensor to deliver 4K video at up to 60fps in HDR.
skydio beacon
A portable device for implementing one of the ways to control the drone (purchased separately). Allows the user to move the drone (by conditional dragging), adjust the azimuth, tracking distance, altitude, take a photo / video, stop in position hold mode, provides access to automatic flight and shooting modes (Orbit / Dronie / Cable Cam, etc.). Max. removal distance when driving Beacon – 1.5 km. The operating time on a single charge is 3 hours.
Thanks to the controller’s GPS tracking, the aircraft will continue to intelligently follow an object even if it is completely out of the Skydio 2’s field of view.
Drone Deploy support
The drone is compatible with DroneDeploy software to implement workflow inspection, mapping and analytics.
Remote Control
Available as an optional accessory. Outwardly, it is completely and completely similar to the control equipment of the Parrot Anafi drone, which is generally not strange, since there is a corresponding clarification in the S2 specification. Works in tandem with a smartphone (iOS/Android) and provides traditional manual control of the drone in First Person View (FPV). Max. removal distance 3.5 km. Operating time on a single charge 2 hours 30 minutes (with Android), 5 hours 30 minutes (with iOS).
*Smartphone not included.
Warranty service
If the operation of the device was carried out correctly, but nevertheless it failed, the developer undertakes to repair or replace the drone free of charge. All Skydio products come with a 1 year limited warranty.
All products are currently certified for use exclusively in Canada and the United States. Warranty service is only available for users of these countries!
Price
Skydio 2 is currently being sold by the developer as part of a pre-order starting at $1,349. A separately purchased remote control will cost the consumer $179, a separately purchased Skydio Beacon controller $219. A $100 deposit is required to pre-order Skydio 2.
Conclusion
Skydio 2 from $1349
pros
- Portable Design/Quality
- Developer Warranty
- A unique system for detecting and flying around obstacles implemented on AI algorithms
- Dynamic (up to 58 km/h in auto mode)
- Powerful 4K photo/video system
- 3-axis mech. suspension
- Automatic flight and shooting modes
- Control: Smartphone/Beacon/Remote+Smartphone/Apple Whatch
- Max. removal distance 3.5 km
- Compatible with DroneDeploy
Minuses
- Non-foldable design
- No landing legs
- Officially not delivered to the World
The first and only household flying robot capable of intelligent high-quality aerial photography in selfie format, without human intervention, in almost any environmental conditions; to control which just one smartphone or Skydio Beacon is enough. For those who like to pilot themselves, a remote control is available that allows, in tandem with a smartphone, to make an exciting flight in first-person mode at a distance of up to 3.5 km. Due to its functionality, the potential of the drone can be appreciated by absolutely anyone who pursues goals affecting photo / video shooting from the air, without being tied to the experience of owning such devices. It will give an endless amount of positive emotions both from using and from viewing the received material. Age limit 18+.
Note! On January 4, 2022, the developer announced a modified version of the Skydio 2+ drone. The list of key improvements included two additional (in addition to the built-in antennas) external antennas, thanks to which the maximum flight range was increased from 3.5 km to 6 km (when controlling the drone from the remote control; when controlling the Skydio Beacon portable controller, the range also increased from 1.5 km to 3 km), and the drone was equipped with a more efficient battery, increasing the maximum flight time from 23 to 27 minutes. Otherwise, the modified model is no different from its predecessor. To coincide with the announcement of Skydio 2+, the developer also timed the release of a new automatic flight and shooting mode “KeyFrame”, thanks to which a user of any skill level will be able to shoot cinematic-level video in just a few taps. This mode is available for both versions.
A photo
Photos taken by the Skydio 2 drone from the developer.
Video
Video from the developer
Video instruction number 1: First flight.
Video instruction number 2: Takeoff and landing.
Video tutorial #3: Beacon Remote. Where to begin.
Video tutorial #4: Beacon Remote. Flight.
Video instruction number 5: The main control panel. Where to begin.
Video instruction number 6: Interaction with the remote control.
Video instruction number 7: The basics of working with a mobile application.
Video instruction No. 8: Control via a mobile device.
Video tutorial #9: An overview of recommended skills.
Video instruction #10: Recommendations for actions after the flight.
Video Tutorial #11: Motion Track Intelligent Mode.
Video tutorial #12: Fixed tracking.
Video tutorial #13: Hanging skills.
Video tutorial #14: Skills for using the Orbit mode.
Video tutorial #15: Skills for using the CableCam mode.
Video tutorial #16: Skills for using the Boomerang mode.
Video tutorial #17: Vortex mode skills.
Video tutorial #18: Skills for using the Rocket mode.
Video tutorial #19: Skills for using the Dronie mode.
Video tutorial #20: The developer about a number of changes after the update, affecting the auto return to home (RTH) function when the connection is lost.
Video tutorial #21: How to use the Skydio KeyFrame function.
S2 in mountaineering.
Videos from users
Flight range test.
Unpacking.
Test flight.
Skidio 2 in action.
Skydio 2 and DJI Mavic 3 Auto Track Comparison Test.
Auto-tracking comparison test of Skydio 2 and DJI Mavic 2.