30 September 2024

[Following content courtesy of Skydio press office]

Skydio started ten years ago with a simple premise: Drones can be the ultimate data capture tool, but not without autonomy. Requiring the constant attention of a skilled operator is an inherent barrier to scale. That’s why Skydio bet big on autonomy from day one.

At its core, autonomy is about embedding the skills of an expert pilot into the drone system. Skydio Autonomy onboard the X10, for example, can fly confidently without crashing into obstacles - day or night. Our drones can recognize subjects and track them with no operator assistance. With Skydio drones, an operator can be proficient and get valuable data with just a few hours of experience, democratizing access to drones for everybody.

But one limitation still lingers - there has always been one operator for every drone. Unshackling the drone from the operator means the drone can capture data on its own. An operator can command tens or even hundreds of drones, making them available anytime, anywhere they are needed, achieving true scale.

To pull forward the future of autonomous drone flight and data capture, Skydio is proud to announce Dock for X10. With Dock, drones can be stationed everywhere they are needed, ready to respond.

Pre-positioning drones in a city means public safety agencies can have eyes on scene during an emergency within seconds. Placing docked drones at an electrical substation enables continuous inspection of high-value equipment and rapid response after natural disasters. A drone housed at a construction site monitors progress quality daily, while drones docked at large gathering venues can provide valuable real-time safety information. Docks and drones on military bases enable round-the-clock patrols for greater security. The possibilities for impact extend across all of civilization’s critical industries and infrastructure.

Dock for X10 was born out of thousands of hours of engineering, with lessons learned from 400 deployments of Dock for X2 and S2+ over the past two years. Reliability is paramount. With no person present, the complete robotic system from dock to drone to software has to work on its own, every single time, from launch through to landing.

Skydio X10’s visual navigation system, coupled with onboard AI and autonomy, uses a visual fiducial system on the landing surface of the Dock to ensure precision landings. The X10 will recognize the landing surface, orient itself into position, then land on the platform, which then closes to protect and charge X10, even in the harshest conditions.

Dock for X10 is built to withstand almost anything Mother Nature can throw its way. Tested against 160 mph winds, Dock didn’t budge. It has built-in HVAC to maintain a safe operating temperature for the drone in -4℉ to 122℉. Dock can withstand an intense rainstorm, and flight operations from Dock are possible in moderate rain and winds up to 28 mph, day or night.

Flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) is a critical part of autonomous work and Dock for X10 is purpose-built for it. Attached weather sensors, an ADS-B In receiver and inputs for radar systems send the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) an accurate picture of both the airspace and conditions on the ground to satisfy many BVLOS requirements. Pre-flight checks are possible with cameras embedded in the Dock, allowing for remote vehicle inspection.

Remote Ops and DFR Command Software Bring Remote Flight to Life

Remote Ops is the powerful software that fuels the operation of Dock for X10.

Critical to Remote Ops is the ability to fly on-demand from any remote location over a web browser. Remote Flight Deck is an intuitive, powerful flight interface that gives operators the choice of keyboard or game controllers as inputs to navigate. Operators can launch drones across any part of their Dock fleet and be airborne within 20 seconds. Live streams of the drone footage can be made available to all stakeholders via secure, shareable ReadyLink URLs, with no login required.

Easily capture repetitive data sets over time with Mission Planner and advanced scheduling. Skydio’s Visual Positioning System maps environments in real-time for precise data capture, mission after mission, indoors or out. Or create GPS missions by dragging and dropping waypoints around a map to create your custom flight path. Then schedule your mission to run at a particular date and time or have missions run on a recurring schedule, provided you have regulatory approval, which the Skydio team has recently pioneered to enable operators to do just that. Imagine having 10s or even 100s of drones continuously collecting exactly the data you need to make informed decisions - all autonomously.

To simplify program management and lower overall burden, Remote Ops provides intuitive capabilities to manage your equipment. Know which Docks and drones are operational, when maintenance intervals are coming up and which pilots have been flying which drones. Remote Ops also integrates seamlessly into enterprise IT systems with single sign-on user management and security features, promoting trust and ease of use for critical operations.

DFR Command is developed expressly for public safety agencies to take full advantage of drones. It is designed to enable agencies to start, operate, and grow Drone as First Responder programs. Learn more.

Skydio Connect Access Points and Connect Fusion Provide the Range to Put Drones Where You Need Them

Connectivity is a foundational aspect of drone flight, with signal range being critical to high-quality video feeds. Skydio Connect Access Points are external point-to-point radio modules for X10 that are designed to be mounted away from the Dock at ideal vantage points, to achieve the best possible range and coverage for your mission. Access Points can be connected directly to a Dock, or deployed standalone with a direct internet connection to provide remote drone connectivity in the places you need it most, even if cellular coverage is not available.

Dock for X10 comes standard with a Connect Access Point. Skydio technicians will work with you to choose the best installation location based on your mission needs and local topography.

Skydio Connect 5G brings the increasingly ubiquitous availability of the cellular network to Dock and X10. Point-to-point radio connectivity is inherently limited to line of sight operation. When you need to fly around a building, over a hill and behind an obstacle - or simply need to go out a further distance, add Connect 5G to increase your range.

Skydio Connect Fusion brings the best of all connectivity options together in a seamless way. Your X10 will use Connect SL, our point-to-point connectivity option that comes standard; if it degrades the further out you fly and you want to continue the mission, and adequate cellular is available, Connect Fusion will seamlessly switch X10 over to cellular. You never miss a beat.

The Dock for X10 itself has several backhaul options including ethernet to your local network, a dedicated 5G connection using a Cradlepoint module and even Starlink for more remote installations.

The Future of Autonomy is Here Today

The future of useful, autonomous flying robots operating in unconstrained environments is here and ready to empower those working to keep our communities safe, our critical infrastructure running, and our freedoms protected. Dock for X10 shipments begin in January 2025 for Early Access customers.

Thank you to our customers for joining us in this vision and on this journey. We wouldn’t be here without you.