Skydio Autonomous Drones: the Autonomy Enterprise Foundation for Skydio 2™

Skydio autonomous drones stand out because of their ease of use.  Now, Skydio is making it even easier with the Autonomy Enterprise Foundation (AEF) for Skydio 2™, and a new training program for certified Skydio pilots.

Skydio Autonomy Enterprise Foundation (AEF) is a broad set of advanced AI-pilot assistance capabilities, controlled through the new Skydio Enterprise App.  “…AEF optimizes Skydio 2 for professional use in a wide range of missions, including outdoor/indoor inspections, search and rescue, emergency response, security patrol, and situational awareness,” says a Skydio blog post.   (To get an in-depth look at Skydio’s AEF, and new training options, register here to join the free webinar December 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm EST.)

“This is an important milestone for us as we continue to reframe the drone industry through the power of autonomy,” said Skydio CEO, Adam Bry. “Because Skydio drones are software-defined flying computers, we are able to transform the drone’s behavior and add capabilities for different users without having to change the underlying hardware. Skydio 2 has already been adopted by many enterprise users who recognized the value of autonomy. With Autonomy Enterprise Foundation, we are delivering an enhanced user experience and feature set tailored to the needs of enterprise and public sector operators.”

“AEF delivers a new user experience optimized for enterprise and public sector missions with new AI-pilot assistance capabilities that further increase the benefits of Skydio 2.”

Advanced features in Autonomy Enterprise Foundation include:

• Close Proximity Obstacle Avoidance to fly as close as 16” (roughly 40 cm.) to obstacles and easily go through standard size doors with confidence

• Precision Mode for maximum control over the position of the drone during detailed inspections or in tight spaces

• Vertical View to capture images by orienting the gimbal camera straight up overhead

• Superzoom™ to provide an omnidirectional view of the drone surroundings and zoom into points of interest with a powerful digital zoom

• Point-of-Interest Orbit to fly autonomously around a user-specified point on the map.

• Track In Place to visually track a subject from a fixed position

• Visual Return-to-Home to use visual wayfinding when flying back to base in GPS-denied environments

• Offline Maps to fly in LTE-denied environments by saving maps in the Skydio Enterprise App

“We love to see the progress that Skydio is making in bringing the power of autonomy to enterprise users. Skydio‘s AI-based drones are a game changer for operators like us. Coupled with the new enterprise software capabilities these will allow us to perform an even wider range of missions faster, safer, and with higher quality than with any other tool available today,” said Jarvis Worton, Global Platform Technology Specialist / sUAS SME | Jacobs Engineering Group.

“Close Proximity Obstacle Avoidance allows us to fly our aircraft into tight, complex environments without giving up the safety that normally comes with flying Skydios. We are excited to use it for search and rescue missions,” said Ryan Gifford, Sacramento Metro Fire Department Captain / UAV Program Manager.

In addition, Skydio is beefing up their training programs, with the new Skydio Academy.   Skydio Academy is a new professional training program “designed for enterprise and public sector operators to become certified operators of Skydio’s autonomous drones.”

Training is a significant need for  public safety and enterprise programs: drone programs are still in their early stages, and companies need a way to scale efficiently.  “As enterprise and public sector organizations of all sizes switch to AI-based autonomous drones, traditional approaches to drone missions become obsolete and inefficient. Skydio Academy helps organizations prepare the next generation of pilots, and ensure they have the expertise to scale their autonomous drones programs efficiently taking full advantage of the capabilities Skydio has to offer.”

“I am excited that Skydio Academy will soon be available. Skydio’s training staff responsible for building the Skydio Academy curriculum have decades of instructional experience with drones and have trained thousands of enterprise and public sector pilots with in-person and remote courses. Skydio’s autonomy engine can turn any operator into an expert pilot and our expert trainers can help any size organization or individual pilot unlock the full value of Skydio’s solutions,” said Alden Jones, Skydio Sr. Director of Customer Success

To learn more about Skydio Enterprise Autonomy Foundation and training options, join Skydio’s free webinar on December 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm EST.