Wikipedia

Skydio

Skydio is an American manufacturer of drones headquartered in San Mateo, California. The company manufactures drones for use in battlefield situation awareness, policing, and inspection. Their drones are designed for autonomous operation through the use of computer vision,[1] and can complete fully autonomous missions with the use of a dock to automatically recharge.[2]

Skydio
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded2014; 10 years ago (2014)
FounderAdam Bry, Abe Bachrach and Matt Donahoe
Headquarters
San Mateo, California
,
United States
Key people
ProductsUnmanned aerial vehicles
Websitewww.skydio.com

As of February 2023, Skydio drones are used in every branch of the US Department of Defense, by over half of all Departments of Transportation in the US at the state level, and by more than 200 public safety agencies in 47 states.[3][4][5] The drones are also used by allies of the United States, including the UK Ministry of Defence,[6] the Israel Defense Forces,[7] and the Indian Armed Forces.[8] Skydio drones are also sold in the commercial market, where they hold a 4% market share as of 2021.[9]

Skydio drones can also carry payloads, such as grenades,[10] but they have been criticized for failing to fly at the distances advertised, or to carry substantial payloads, compared to drones designed for the consumer market such as those manufactured by DJI. [11]

The drones integrate directly with the Android Team Awareness Kit, an Android application used by the US military and police.[12] Skydio also develops software applications for their drones. Subject tracking enables following enemy combatants or other subjects of interest. [13] A scouting application enables monitoring military convoys for threats from enemy soldiers.[14] The crosshair coordinates application enables 3D positioning of targets for scouting and weapons targeting purposes.[15] A 3D reconstruction application can also be purchased, which has been used to document war crimes in Ukraine [16] as well as inspect ships for the Royal Canadian Navy.[17]

History

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Skydio was founded in 2014 by Adam Bry, Abe Bachrach, and Matt Donahoe, all of whom had studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[18]

Bry and Bachrach were in the Robust Robotics Group, researching ways to build aircraft that could fly themselves without GPS, culminating in a fixed wing drone with a laser range finder that autonomously navigated its way around a parking lot. In 2012, Bry and Bachrach helped develop autonomous-control algorithms that could calculate a plane's trajectory and determine its location, physical orientation, velocity, and acceleration.[19] After graduation, in 2012, Bry and Bachrach took jobs at Google working on Project Wing, an autonomous drone project. Seeing a need for autonomy in drones, in 2014, Bry, Bachrach, and Donahoe founded Skydio to fulfill their belief that drones have enormous potential across industries and applications.[20] Early investors included venture capitalist Andreessen Horowitz.[21]

 
The Skydio X2 drone

In March 2021, the company became a 'unicorn', becoming the first US company, that both manufactures and sells its own drones, to exceed US$1 billion in value.[22][23]

In February 2023, Skydio announced a $230 million Series E fund-raising round and the construction of a new manufacturing facility in the USA. The company said that it has seen a 30x growth over three years and was the largest drone manufacturer in the United States. The Series E round was led by Linse Capital, with participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Next47, IVP, DoCoMo, Nvidia, Lockheed Martin, Walton Family Foundation, and UP.Partners. Hercules Capital, and Axon, the company behind the Taser and police body cameras, also invested in Skydio. The company claims that its drones are used in every branch of the U.S. Department of Defense, by over half of all U.S. State Departments of Transportation and by more than 200 public safety agencies in 47 states.[24][25][26]

In August 2023, Skydio exited the consumer drone market to focus on military, police, and industrial users.[27]

In October 2024 Skydio was sanctioned by China after its products were approved for use by fire departments in Taiwan. The Chinese government forbade components suppliers and other businesses in China from doing business with Skydio.[28]

Products

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Skydio R1

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In 2018, the company's first consumer product was the Skydio R1. The Skydio R1 had 12 cameras around the body of the drone and a gimbal stabilized 4K main camera. It had subject follow mode and obstacle avoidance.[29] The R1 was powered by a Nvidia Jetson on-board computer.[30] Controlling the R1 was done from the Skydio app, using on-screen height and directional toggles.[31]

Skydio 2

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The Skydio 2 came out in October, 2019 and was priced much lower.[32] Skydio 2 combined better obstacle avoidance, a smaller form factor and had 6 navigation cameras instead of 12 compared against the R1. The Skydio 2 also had a gimbal stabilized main camera that was capable of 4K at 60 frames per second, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) of wireless range, and 23 minute flight time. The Skydio 2 was powered by the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 embedded computing board. It could be flown by the Skydio controller, Skydio Beacon, or with the Skydio app.[33]

Skydio X2

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Skydio X2D in flight

In 2020, Skydio announced it would design the 'X2', a drone for military and corporate use.[32] The third-generation drone has folding arms, a thermal camera, and a new touchscreen controller.[34] Flight time was improved to 35 minutes. It has a 12-megapixel 4k color camera with a 320 x 256 resolution Teledyne FLIR Boson thermal camera for seeing heat.[35] The X2 uses the same Skydio Autonomy engine with 6 navigation cameras located on the outside of the drone but now with a thermal camera,[36] 35 min flight time, range, and foldable. The X2 platform has a 14 to 109 °F (−10 to 43 °C) temperature operating range. Additionally this drone has increased supply chain security with its National Defense Authorization Act[37] compliant certification allowing it to be used at the Federal level.

Skydio X10

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Skydio X10 in flight

The Skydio X10 was announced in September 2023 at the Skydio Ascend conference.[38] It is a professional autonomous drone designed for a wide range of applications, including public safety, inspection, and mapping.

The drone is equipped with custom-designed high-resolution cameras, including a 64MP narrow camera, a 48MP zoom camera capable of reading license plates at 800 feet, a 50MP wide field of view camera for detecting minute details like 0.1 mm cracks in concrete, and a 640x512 Teledyne FLIR Boson+ radiometric thermal camera for measuring temperature differences during inspection missions or finding a missing person in total darkness.

The X10 is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Orin processor, giving it 10x more computing power, and 10x higher-fidelity, custom-designed, navigation cameras than earlier models. This allows the X10 to navigate with more confidence, avoiding thinner obstacles, in more challenging conditions. 'NightSense' enables autonomous flight in zero-light environments, so it can operate 24 hours. The new Spatial AI engine enables real-time environment mapping and fully automated modeling at the edge with 3D Scan and Onboard Modeling.

The drone's airframe is open and modular, featuring four payload bays, replaceable gimbal sensor packages, and an IP55 weather resistance rating. It also includes Skydio Connect, which offers connectivity options for a redesigned point-to-point link, a multi-band radio designed for contested and jammed environments, and a 5G radio for infinite range wherever there is cellular coverage. The X10 is highly portable, capable of going from folded up in a backpack to in the air in less than 40 seconds.

Military programs

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In February 2022 Skydio won the U.S. Army Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program production agreement. This contract has a first year value of $20.2 million and a total value of $99.8 million over 5 years.[39] The Skydio X2D (RQ-28A) was integrated into the Army at the platoon level.[40] The SRR program, which is described by the service as an effort to develop an inexpensive, rucksack-portable, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aircraft to provide rapidly deployable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.[41]

Skydio also competed for the SRR Tranche 2 contract with the Skydio X10D drone. However, the contract was awarded to Red Cat Holdings instead, whose Black Widow drone was found to be more suitable for the Army’s needs. [42]

Controversies

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Lobbying issues

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Government employees have been accused of an improper relationship with the company. [43]

Skydio CEO Adam Bry posted a statement on LinkedIn claiming Skydio had “nothing to do” with the DJI drone ban bill, and blamed DJI for the “extreme levels of hate” directed at Skydio. [44]

References

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  1. ^ "Asymmetric Advantages for the Free World: Skydio X10D and the Next Evolution of Human-Machine Teaming". 9 November 2023.
  2. ^ "This is the dock that lets Skydio drones truly fly themselves". 7 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Skydio soars to a $2.2 billion valuation after raising $230m Series E . The company says it is seen". www.selligence.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  4. ^ Burns, Matt (2023-02-27). "Skydio soars to a $2.2 billion valuation after raising $230M Series E". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  5. ^ "Skydio Raises $230M in Series E Funding Round, Becomes Largest US Drone Manufacturer". www.skydio.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  6. ^ "MCL and Skydio Awarded £3 Million Contract for MOD Spiral 4".
  7. ^ "Israel's appetite for high-tech weapons highlights a Biden policy gap". Politico.
  8. ^ "US drone major Skydio ties up with Aeroarc of India". The Times of India. 21 February 2024.
  9. ^ "How Has 2021 Changed the Drone Industry?". 14 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Modernizing the Fight from Above: Testing and Training on Critical Capability Using New Technology". 28 February 2023.
  11. ^ "How American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide in Ukraine". Archived from the original on 2024-04-17.
  12. ^ https://support.skydio.com/hc/en-us/articles/22838103434907-How-to-set-up-ATAK-with-the-Skydio-X10-Controller. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ "Skydio X10D".
  14. ^ "Improved Situational Awareness with Drones for Military and Law Enforcement".
  15. ^ https://support.skydio.com/hc/en-us/articles/23710736220699-How-to-use-Crosshair-Coordinates-DTED-on-Skydio-X10D. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ "USAID Delivers Skydio Drones to Ukraine to Document War Crimes".
  17. ^ https://dronedj.com/2023/03/17/drone-inspection-royal-canadian-navy/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ Manjoo, Farhad (13 February 2018). "The Autonomous Selfie Drone Is Here. Is Society Ready for It?". The New York Times.
  19. ^ "The Autonomous 'Selfie Drone'". cacm.acm.org. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  20. ^ "The autonomous "selfie drone"". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  21. ^ Popper, Ben (2015-01-15). "Meet the tiny startup building self-navigating drones". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  22. ^ "Autonomous drone maker Skydio raises $170M led by Andreessen Horowitz". TechCrunch. March 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  23. ^ "American company Skydio becomes first U.S. drone company to reach $1 billion valuation". CNBC. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  24. ^ "Skydio soars to a $2.2 billion valuation after raising $230m Series E . The company says it is seen". www.selligence.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  25. ^ Burns, Matt (2023-02-27). "Skydio soars to a $2.2 billion valuation after raising $230M Series E". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  26. ^ "Skydio Raises $230M in Series E Funding Round, Becomes Largest US Drone Manufacturer". www.skydio.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  27. ^ Roth, Emma (2023-08-10). "Skydio is pivoting to enterprise — its consumer drones are dead". Verge. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  28. ^ Irwin, Kate. "China Sanctions US Drone Maker Skydio Over Taiwan Deal". pcmag.com. PC Magazine. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Skydio R1". Drone Rush. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  30. ^ kangalow (2018-02-14). "Skydio R1 - Jetson TX1 Based Self-Flying Camera". JetsonHacks. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  31. ^ Statt, Nick (2018-04-05). "The Skydio R1 autonomous drone is an action sport enthusiast's dream come true". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  32. ^ a b French, Sally (2019-10-05). "The Skydio 2 is here - and it costs less than $1,000". The Drone Girl. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  33. ^ "Inception Spotlight: New Skydio 2 Drone Powered by NVIDIA Jetson". NVIDIA Technical Blog. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  34. ^ "Skydio X2 Drones Get Folding Body, Thermal Camera, Longer Flight And A New Controller". SlashGear. 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  35. ^ "Skydio X2 Autonomous Drone". www.skydio.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  36. ^ "Skydio X2 FLIR Thermal Drone Palette Options". www.skydio.com. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  37. ^ "DIU's first wave of policy compliant commercial drones". www.diu.mil. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  38. ^ "Ascend 2023: Unveiling Skydio X10". www.skydio.com. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  39. ^ McNabb, Miriam (2022-02-09). "Skydio Wins US Army SRR Program Production Agreement". DRONELIFE. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  40. ^ Helfrich, Emma (2022-12-07). "Army Fields Its New RQ-28A Quadcopter Recon Drone (Updated)". The Drive. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  41. ^ "New short range reconnaissance capability begins fielding to Soldiers". www.army.mil. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  42. ^ https://dronexl.co/2024/11/19/red-cat-skydio-us-army-drone-contract/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  43. ^ "Blue SUAS Problems and DMS Secretary Pimping for Skydio". 31 March 2023.
  44. ^ "Testifying for the China Select Committee and Policy Restrictions on Chinese Drones".
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