Skydio

Skydio has announced the establishment of a National Security Advisory Board. The US drone maker will now receive strategic guidance from a cohort of seasoned national security experts while delivering autonomous drone solutions to the Department of Defense and allied militaries. The development comes at a time when Chinese drone maker DJI is facing a potential ban in the US amid data security concerns.

US drone manufacturer Skydio is harvesting the fruit of its decision to shift from consumer drones to specialization in enterprise and defense applications with news that its cutting-edge X10D has made the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Blue UAS list.

Drone fleet management and airspace data specialist Aloft Technologies is joining forces with US drone maker Skydio to integrate live UTM (Uncrewed Traffic Management) telemetry. Available today for all enterprise, government, and public safety customers, you can now see your Skydio aircraft flying in real-time within the full context of the Aloft airspace maps and applications.

Verizon says it has partnered with Skydio to operate the X10 as its primary drone while providing on-demand assistance to government agencies and emergency responders during crisis situations.

US drone maker Skydio says the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) plans to use its new X10 drones to monitor spring break 2024 crowds. The MBPD has previously used Skydio drones during large-scale public events such as Art Week 2023 and New Year’s Eve to help protect event attendees and keep the community at large safe.

US drone maker Skydio says it has begun delivery of the first X10Ds, the company’s new flagship drone for defense and government applications. The X10D is essentially an offline variant of Skydio’s X10 platform with advanced AI. It comes with a new feature called dynamic channel switching that helps operators monitor signal interference and move to a clearer channel to improve wireless transmission signal quality during flight.

How bad is the reputation of California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)? Poor enough that it’s conspicuously displaying the sight and sounds of its drone flights to endear itself to the public (that’s a joke, kind of – read on). 

US drone maker Skydio is partnering with industrial technology company Trimble to make the newly launched X10 autonomous drone fully compatible with Trimble’s cloud-based data platform and satellite navigation devices.

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 has unveiled its latest drone, the triple-camera X10 with an all-new NightSense feature that enables autonomous flights in zero-light environments. Designed as a versatile solution for enterprise and public safety applications, the X10 is Skydio’s first offering since exiting the consumer business earlier this year.

Skydio, the US drone maker considered by many to be the only real competition to China’s DJI, has announced it will no longer manufacture recreational or hobby drones. Skydio cofounder and CEO Adam Bry says the company has taken the “very difficult decision” to exit the consumer business “in order to put everything we’ve got into serving our enterprise and public sector customers.”

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) says it has delivered nine drones to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to collect evidence of possible war crimes. As an independent agency of the US federal government, USAID has been pursuing accountability for war crimes and human rights abuse in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

As of last week we are officially in summer, time for warm weather and vacations around the world, perfect for flying drones. Before you bring out your favorite quadcopter from storage, here are a few tips on what to do before your first flight.

Southern Company says it has been granted a conditions-based waiver by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct autonomous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations across its energy network from Georgia to California.

It’s no secret Russia’s cakewalking expectations to invade and quickly take over Ukraine were upended in large part by defenders’ wide-ranging and extremely effective repurposing of comparatively cheap consumer UAVs into munitions-dropping strike vehicles. Now the US Army is moving to replicate that example, representing a potential boon for small drone partners.

Skydio has pushed out a software update to enable Remote ID on Skydio 2, 2+, and X2E drone models when flown with the Skydio Enterprise Controller, Skydio mobile apps (with or without Skydio Controller), or Skydio Beacon/Beacon+ (with or without Skydio mobile apps).

Leading US drone manufacturer and autonomous flight specialist Skydio has been granted broad, open-ended authorization to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions by aviation regulators in Japan – certification made all the more remarkable in being valid across the entire country.

US drone maker Skydio says its X2 drone solution for aerial intelligence, reconnaissance, situational awareness, emergency services, and search and rescue operations is now available with multiband technology and capabilities. The new Skydio X2D Multiband offers wireless range and frequencies up to 10 km, and delivers an average flight time of 35 minutes.

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.

US drone maker Skydio has updated its 3D Scan software to enable autonomous indoor mapping missions at large-scale facilities such as construction sites, factories, and warehouses. And the good part is, if you’re already a Skydio 3D Scan customer, you will be able to leverage this new Indoor Capture feature at no additional cost.