This image sits at the bottom of Skydio’s landing page, currently teasing a new drone slated for a Fall release. Skydio, a California-based robotics manufacturer, has announced a follow-up release to their premier drone.
The R1 was introduced to market in February, 2018, and garnered recognition as the world’s first fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle. Boasting 13 onboard cameras, it flies and avoids obstacles in every direction.
According to Skydio’s official website, the company has something new coming this fall. ’If you’re thinking of buying a drone, wait’ reads the bold introductory statement. Site visitors are prompted to enter an email address. The follow up message promises ‘something even more spectacular’ than the R1 and a product based on ’the culmination of everything we’ve learned from our first drone and all of the feedback we’ve received from our first customers. ’
A screenshot of Skydio's signup for receiving news about the impending drone.
At the very bottom of Skydio’s landing page is presumably a teaser image of the new drone. DroneDJ predicts the upcoming drone could be a competitor to DJI’s Mavic 2 Pro. If so, Skydio will need to make it more compact than its R1, which measures 13 by 16 inches and weighs over two pounds. The introductory price will also need to see a reduction. The R1 was initially priced at $2,500 and currently retails for $1,999.
To really appeal to consumers, battery life will need to exceed 16 minutes. Most importantly, to compete with DJI, Skydio will need to equip this new drone with a high resolution camera capable of shooting stills and give users the ability to adjust manual settings. While the R1 boasts a 4K video camera, reports of graininess and noise in final footage have plagued the product.
If Skydio improves upon its R1 model as promised, it will be the autonomous drone to beat. Skydio received the third highest round of funding for a drone company last year, giving them ample resources to pull this feat off.
For updates, Skydio encourages following its official Twitter account.
. dpreview.com2019-7-13 16:43
