Skydio, a California based company that started in 2014, created a self-flying drone that can actively dodge obstacles and active track at the same time. Other UAVs like the Lily drone have claimed similar self-flying abilities, but the Skydio R1 stands out with its 13 cameras that continually update a 3D map to avoid obstacles in real time. The Skydio R1 was made for athletes or just anyone looking to create dynamic videos without a controller.
Skydio R1 Specs
Featuring a 256-core NVIDIA TX1 GPU, Skydio R1 has the same processor found in many self-driving cars. It comes equipped with a main 4K camera that can shoot 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps, but its main feature is its upgradable software, which utilizes data from the other 12 cameras to make predictions, maps and flight routes. The 4K camera is also equipped with a fixed 150-degree wide angle lens, and it is stabilized using a 2-axis gimbal.
Skydio R1 comes equipped with 64GB of internal storage. Even though the drone lacks a microSD slot, the built-in memory was rated to store 1.5 hours of 4K footage or 4.5 hours of 1080p 30 fps footage. Videos can be accessed using the USB-C port, or the phone app can be used to create shareable clips. The drone comes stocked with intelligent flight modes such as orbit, side, lead, follow, tripod, smooth and stadium. Another mode called joysticks enables the phone app to act as a remote controller for full manual control.
The hands-free drone can fly up to 16 minutes, but it comes packaged with two batteries. It is made with carbon fiber propeller guards to ensure safety. Skydio R1 also features lightweight anodized aluminum to keep the weight down to a mere 2.2 pounds.
