The American company Skydio is entering the corporate services market with its new line of Skydio X2 drones – the first in an entire series planned for this sector. The folding quadrocopter is designed primarily for industrial and military use, offering FLIR thermal camera and a 360-degree camera, a flight time of 35 minutes, 3D scanner, and 100x zoom.
The new drone models combine cutting-edge AI software with enterprise-level features. Like the previous models of the company, the new drone is equipped with several cameras for fully autonomous detection and avoid obstacles in its path.
The Skydio X2 offers a FLIR Boson thermal camera and a second camera with 100X zoom, merged with six 360 degree 4K vision lenses. There are six such cameras, and in the new model, they are used not only for navigation but also for shooting a single 360-degree video. The camera unit is mounted on a three-axis suspension for stabilization, which allows you to adjust the vertical tilt by 180 degrees.
For night flights, the obstacle detection system is disabled, but the flight can still continue offline using GPS and inertial navigation systems. The new design also integrates visible lights and IR illuminators in the drone’s arms to allow the capture of sharp images even in low light conditions. The pilot can choose the operating mode of the LEDs under the screws: in the visible or infrared range of the spectrum, or completely turn off all lighting if it is necessary to reduce the visibility of the device.
The drone received a quickly replaceable battery at the bottom, which lasts for 35 minutes of flight. Designed for professionals, the Skydio Enterprise Controller has a built-in touchscreen, glove-compatible controls, and a new wireless system to extend range up to 6.2 km (3.8-miles).
The Skydio X2 series will be available in the fourth quarter of this year – pricing information has not been released yet. Skydio notes that the drone will be delivered in two versions: X2E for conventional companies and X2D for US military and defense for reconnaissance and other operations under the Short Range Reconnaissance program.
