Skydio releases Remote Flight Deck to pilot X10 drones from any device or distance

Just three weeks after Skydio’s release of its new, tech-amped X10 drone, the company is now rolling out its Remote Flight Deck solution permitting users to operate the craft from a simple browser – providing a potentially invaluable asset for police, fire, first responder, and other intended operators.

Skydio unveiled its Remote Flight Deck application today to further enhance the utility and attraction of the sensor packed, far-seeing, weather scoffing X10 drone it introduced September 20. According to the San Mateo, CA-based startup, the solution can be used to pilot the UAV from virtually any distance, using virtually any browser, from virtually any mobile or desktop device. The only non-virtual caveat: a cellular network is required for connectivity, but how difficult is that anymore? 

With that link 5G established, Skydio says the public services and first responders its X10 drone is designed for can navigate the craft at work in one part of the globe using Remote Flight Deck from another.

That means, among other things police, fire units, disaster relief, and other critical public services likely to take advantage of the Skydio X10’s trio of powerful sensors – capable of capturing precise details from great distances, and pierce full darkness – can use Remote Flight Deck for seamless drone handoffs between local and remote pilots when needed.

The option, says Skydio CEO Adam Bry, increases fluidity of operations and uninterrupted situational awareness by allowing the best pilots suited for changing scenarios to take control of the craft when necessary, and ensure effective, safe use from any 5G-connected spot on the planet.

“We envision a world where drones become basic infrastructure,” explained Bry. “The Skydio X10 can be in every first responder’s vehicle, and with Remote Flight Deck, X10 can provide immediate situational awareness and support from a remote operator. For public safety agencies, this capability makes Drone as First Responder available now, improving officer and community safety.” 

In the wake of the startup’s decision to end its activity in consumer drones to focus in on defense, security, and public service applications, most longtime fans of Skydio will be left on the outside of the X10 and Remote Flight Deck candy store window looking in. 

But to offer an idea of what the general UAV public would have been in for had the company not made that pivot, Skydio lists the new remote solutions primary features as:

• Pilot from a Web Browser:
  • Remote pilots can initiate and control flights using any connected computer with a web browser, ensuring complete visibility via live streaming for informed decision-making.
• Seamless Handoffs Between Pilots:
  • Control of the drone can be smoothly transitioned from the ground to remote pilots, ground to ground pilots, or remote to remote pilots, delivering operational efficiency and agility.
• Fly Complex Missions:
  • Remote Flight Deck, coupled with the Autonomy Engine, empowers pilots to confidently execute intricate missions–from hundreds or thousands of miles away, subject to civil aviation authority approvals, which are becoming increasingly common. The solution transcends the limitations of traditional GPS overhead point-to-point flights, allowing flights around buildings and obstacles to gather essential information.