Skydio’s second-gen ‘self-flying’ drone is quicker, tinier and half the amount

The R1 was the second drone in your magazine. It was grand, and it gave users an experience that was technically effective, sometimes useful and a little unusual.

The startup had allocated $70 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, IVP and Playground Global to build a different type of autonomous drone.

What’s New About Skydio 2? 

While the first-generation seemed and felt like a prototype, the startup’s soon-to-be-released Skydio 2 matches the functionality wants one would have for their first drone. 

The drone is half the cost at $999, quicker, much smaller and more portable.

It has longer battery life and can be controlled more conventionally with optional accessories.

The biggest problem with the R1 was that its standout autonomous form was the overwhelming default. 

Here you were purchasing a $2,000 product, and once it got to be night, it wouldn’t even get off the ground. 

You were restricted in the distance, short in speed, and you were eventually stuck with a device that could manage edge cases but fell on the basics. 

It allowed shots you could never imagine of doing barreling down a mountainside on a snowboard with the drone close on your tail.

However, you couldn’t merely manage the drone for sweeping panoramic shots.

Instead, you would have to rely on the baked-in cinematic actions called “dronies.”

Specifics of the Skydio 2

The Skydio 2 is still expected to be an autonomous companion. 

The $149 controller is a separate accessory as is the $149 guide which allows the drone to fly at a greater distance and track users more precisely. 

The drone has a 200m flight limit to the phone, a 1.5km limit to the beacon and a 3.5m limit to the controller.

It can do all of this much quicker now and for a little longer. 

The highest speed now maxes out 36 miles per hour, opposed to 26 miles per hour on the first-generation. 

The battery life lies at 23 minutes, which still drops short of what DJI’s Mavic 2 is able of.

Still, there is an improvement over Skydio’s previous-generation.

The $999 drone is starting in November in limited quantities. 

The company is seeking $100 reservations ahead of the launch over at its website now.

SEE ALSO: DJI Launched New Industrial Drones

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