REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Jan. 4, 2022. Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology, today announced a new groundbreaking autonomous flight capability, Skydio KeyFrame. Skydio Keyframe is an AI skill that allows a user to design and capture smooth, complex camera moves with just a few taps. Skydio also announced the availability of Skydio 2+, a drone which builds on the industry-leading autonomy of the Skydio 2 drone with important hardware and software improvements. Effective today, Skydio is also offering a new, enhanced protection plan available to all Skydio 2+ users, Skydio Care.
Skydio KeyFrame makes creating mind-bending cinematic shots easy for anyone.
Manual drones are hard to fly, easy to crash, and unusable in environments with high GPS or compass interference—making it nearly impossible for even an expert pilot to create dynamic, smooth, and creative shots in complex environments. With the introduction of KeyFrame, anyone can design impossible camera motion that is smooth, precise, and repeatable.
"KeyFrame is absolutely insane," said drone and tech reviewer, Billy Kyle. "By far the most feature rich and precise custom flight path system I have ever used on a drone."
The pilot chooses their KeyFrames with just a few taps, and Skydio Autonomy creates a continuous smooth camera path between them. Once the KeyFrames are set, the user can play it back, forward or backwards, as many times as they want at whatever speed they choose.
"One of the main things that sets professional productions apart is the motion of the camera. With the help of cranes, jibs, and large production crews, Hollywood productions do really unique, interesting things. In the hands of an expert pilot, drone footage can be very cinematic," said Skydio CEO, Adam Bry. "KeyFrame makes this capability accessible to a new wave of creators. Hollywood quality cinematography, available anywhere, anytime."
Skydio 2+ introduces enhanced wireless range and battery life to get the most out of every adventure.
In 2019, Skydio 2 made autonomous flight accessible like never before. Skydio autonomy enabled exciting creativity for everything from the solo-creativity, to incredible travel and landscape videography, to capturing motor and action sports. Skydio 2 enabled enterprise customers to perform higher quality inspections faster with minimal pilot training with the launch of Skydio 3D Scan, a first-of-its-kind adaptive scanning software to automate the data capture process needed to generate 3D models with comprehensive coverage and ultra-high resolution.
With extended range, a more robust wireless connection, and longer battery life, Skydio 2+ allows solo creators, outdoor adventurers, athletes, prosumers and hobbyists—at any skill level—to get the most out of Skydio groundbreaking autonomy.
Starting at a base price of $1099, Skydio 2+ builds on the company's industry-leading 360° obstacle avoidance and unprecedented ease of use, adding two omnidirectional external antennas to extend the drone's range from 3.5 km to 6 km. The Skydio 2+ Battery now offers 20% more flight time, while the Skydio 2+ Beacon™ boasts an extended 3 km range.
Skydio Care offers more peace of mind, no questions asked.
In addition to the new Skydio 2+ hardware and software enhancements, Skydio is excited to announce Skydio Care, an optional protection plan that can be purchased to supplement the Skydio 2+ Limited Warranty. Skydio Care allows customers to fly their Skydio 2+ drones with greater peace of mind, providing comprehensive coverage and rapid replacement for accidental damages from collisions, water damage, and unrecoverable landings, enabling a Skydio 2+ to be fully replaced for as little as $150 with no questions asked.
About Skydio
Skydio is the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight. Skydio leverages breakthrough AI to create the world’s most intelligent flying machines for use by consumers, enterprises, and government customers. Founded in 2014, Skydio is made up of leading experts in AI, robotics, cameras, and electric vehicles from top companies, research labs, and universities from around the world. Skydio designs, assembles, and supports its products in the U.S. from its headquarters in Redwood City, CA, to offer the highest standards of supply chain and manufacturing security. Skydio is trusted by leading enterprises across a wide range of industry sectors and is backed by top investors and strategic partners including Andreessen Horowitz, Levitate Capital, Next47, IVP, Playground, and NVIDIA.