A new software update is now available for all Skydio drones, and according to the company, it’s one of its most significant yet. “There’s something for everyone in this release,” Skydio stresses, detailing that several improvements have been made to subject tracking and autonomous flight capabilities for cinematography.
Here’s what to expect from the May 2023 software update that Skydio is now rolling out for its entire drone lineup:
Framing and subject-tracking improvements
To avoid suboptimal shots, such as top-down views with the ground prominently in the frame, Skydio 2 and 2+ will now ensure the horizon is kept in the top third of the frame while flying. The default elevation is now 9 degrees to retain more horizon when tracking a subject. In addition, the company has improved subject detection quality while increasing the max descent speed. The overall result is your Skydio drone is now more efficient at keeping up with high-speed activities, such as skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking.
Read: Skydio drones can now scan indoor spaces autonomously
New Smooth Mode
A new Smooth Mode has been introduced within Motion Track or Fixed Track that makes Skydio 2 and 2+ drones less reactive to a subject’s movement when tracking. This feature also comes in handy for keeping the subject in the frame if they are moving quickly or changing directions aggressively. As a result, your drone footage becomes more smooth and cinematic.
As Divyanshu Pachisia, an autonomy engineer at Skydio, puts it:
We all knew Skydio excelled at following subjects, but we realized the cinematic quality of the footage sometimes suffered from the drone making jerky movements, especially aggressively trying to keep the subject in the frame while filming activities with frequent changes in direction, like skiing. We’re really excited to release Smooth Mode for Motion Track and Fixed Track, which will reduce this jerkiness while continuing to keep track of the subject to produce cinematic footage!
Automatic shuffle for drone’s tracking position
Typically, Skydio users have had to manually select their drone’s following position to capture the shots they want. But the new Shuffle setting in Motion Track, located under the Follow Direction menu, instructs the drone to select a new position and orientation to film from every 15 seconds. This gives you greater variety in shots without any additional effort.
AutoCrop during clip creation
When creating a clip in the Skydio app, you now have three options for cropping your video, ensuring that the subject stays in the frame. Select from 1:1, 16:9, or 9:16 aspect ratios.
More controlled inspections for enterprise users
In addition to the improvements listed above, Skydio 2 and 2+ Enterprise drone users can look forward to performing finer, more controlled inspections with the new Stop at Structure feature. When your drone is within 13 feet (4 meters) of an obstacle, it will not deviate from its course. Instead, it will reduce speed and maintain position, allowing for more precise maneuvering in the immediate vicinity of the structure. This is particularly useful for inspecting small poles, telecommunications, or transmission towers.
Complete release notes of the new software update for Skydio 2/2+ drones can be found here. Enterprise users can discover all the latest features of their drones here.
Read: Alaska to use Skydio drones in disaster response initiative
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments