This new Skydio 2 video shows incredible backwards flight

It is no secret that Skydio is getting ready to release a new drone this year. The Skydio 2 looks to be an incredibly impressive drone. Known for its ability to fly autonomously, the Skydio 2 looks to build on that with a mode that allows the pilot to fly freely in difficult situations without having to worry about crashing. The new Skydio 2 video shows the drone flying backward at full speed through various obstacles. It is an impressive video you will definitely want to check out.

Skydio 2 Video

Flying backward is one of the most challenging shots for a drone pilot. You lose the ability to see what is in front of you and most drones with obstacle avoidance come to a halt if they sense something in its path. Experienced pilots will often “cheat” by flying forward then reversing the video in post-production. Skydio may have made this easier.

Skydio looks to make difficult shots simple with their new Skydio 2 drone. Here’s what they have to say:

Flying a drone can be fun, but it’s rarely relaxing – in fact, it’s often terrifying. The same advanced AI in Skydio 2 that enables the fully autonomous cinematic shots that we’ve previously shared also redefines the experience when you want a little more control.

We’ve been hard at work extending the reach of our latest drone, giving you ways to get the control you want without the stress of crashing. The result is you can fly in ways, and get shots, that would simply be impossible any other way. How about flying through obstacles at full speed, backwards?

Skydio has confirmed that this video was not reversed and not sped up in post-production. They also posted yet another hint that the price will fall well below the $2,000 mark, so it will complete with the Mavic 2 Pro, currently listed at around $1,500.

There is no doubt this Skydio 2 video is impressive. Whether they were flown manually, autonomously, forward or backward, these shots are difficult to achieve. Doing this with a Mavic or a Phantom would require the obstacle avoidance to be turned off. If we know anything about Skydio, it is that their obstacle avoidance is much better at flying around objects than the APAS system from DJI.

Sure, you could capture video like this with an FPV drone, but that requires a different set of skills and equipment. We also don’t see a lot of FPV pilots mounting their GoPros backward! The new Skydio 2 drone is going to be an interesting one and will likely give DJI a run for their money.

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