Back in 2018 tech startup, Skydio made waves in the drone and quadcopter realm when they released what was being touted as the world’s first fully-autonomous consumer drone with the R1. Fast forward to today, and the Redwood City, California-based outfit has just debuted an even more advanced artificial intelligence-equipped drone dubbed the “Skydio 2.”
Designed and made in America, the Skydio 2 can be controlled via an included iOS or Android app that can track moving subjects for up to 200m, or through a dedicated controller that extends range up to 3.5km or a handheld remote the company calls the “Skidio Beacon” that bumps the range up to 1.5km — both of which are sold separately for an additional $149 each. Enabling the cutting-edge device to autonomously track subjects is its main processor, CPU, and GPU from NVIDIA — wildly advanced hardware capable of 1.3 trillion operations every second that’s more commonly utilized by self-driving cars. Born out of more than a decade of research and development, the new drone’s been bestowed with a 4K60 HDR camera that uses Sony’s IMX577 sensor and Qualcomm’s QCS605 image signal processor. Stabilized by a tri-axis gimbal, the Skydio 2 offers a maximum autonomous speed of over 35mph, along with 23 minutes of battery life. And not only is this new model 50% quieter than its $2,500 predecessor but also markedly more affordable at just $999.
