Skydio 2 - pre-orders open at $999 US Only so far

[drakkor]

test of camera quality vs DJI Mavic incl M2P

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2316/4925/files/image-quality-report.pdf?9121

i'm not affiliated with neither Skydio or the producers of the above report - but I do work (professionally) with high res images for a living.

Resolution is not all and M2P camera is good - but not great. So if Skydio have done it right - they can easily be close to or rival M2p in image quality.

Now this is a really useful thorough well done report ! Thanks for sharing !

 

[drakkor]

Also, this guy have several good (nergative) point about the Skydio 2 to keep in mind -

 

[AntDX316]

Now this is a really useful thorough well done report ! Thanks for sharing !

The link of the report is on the website. I saw it and was thinking if it was worth. I didn't want to wait 2 years to get it so I ordered and got 1st batch.

I put the post up at DJI but within an hour it got deleted. They know it's good I assume. They have good test except one, low light. When you look at tests, you should see what isn't tested because that usually is what is trying to be hidden when it's bad though, properly engineering the other areas is great. Not everything is 100% versatile. Everything has it's own special purpose and in other areas, it will not perform as good as something else no matter how good it is.

 

[kaz911]

Also, this guy have several good (nergative) point about the Skydio 2 to keep in mind -

If I was the blogger who posted that video - I would take a few more years in school. Before you post a "headliner" "take down" video - you should really do your research.

1. Multi-charger is announced but not ready yet. It is listed in the Skydio FAQ. (Charging Skydio 2 Batteries)

2. Wi-Fi - well all the drones run on some kind Wi-Fi - 2.4 & 5 GHz are Wi-Fi frequencies and DJI have been good at "mitigating" as much interference as possible. But it is still running on the same frequencies as your home Wi-Fi - and gets the same interference from Wi-Fi. DJI are really good at it - so zero complaints about that. Is Skydio as good - probably not. But how often do you need to fly your drone 3+ KM away? As long as I have a range of about 750-1000m and it is stable - I'm happy.

3. Battery placement - if the poster knew about gravity - he would not put the battery above the prop's. It is MUCH more stable to have the main weight below the propellers.

4. If he had researched Mavic/Mavic Pro issues - he would also know there are quite a few "battery" failures - where batteries have "detached" - most likely due to clips not being clipped in perfectly - or battery plastic clips damaged. So if Skydio battery is stuck on with magnets - and have been tested in extreme maneuvers I actually think it will be safer than relying on "pilots" to make certain batteries are completely clipped in - and hopefully it won't interfere with on-board compass....

5. He claimed battery prices was not know. They are also listed on the Skydio website (Skydio 2 Frequently Asked Questions) - extra batteries are $99,- a piece.

All the above information has been on the FAQ since I purchased - and I was one of the first I think (before the "email" went out at least)

The only new thing I spotted in the FAQ is the part about the Anafi controller. You CAN'T use Parrots controller as software is different.

We partnered with Parrot for our Skydio Controller, and yes, it is the same hardware that comes with the Anafi. However, the Controller is pre-loaded with Skydio software, and is set up to be used exclusively with Skydio 2. It won't be compatible with the Anafi, nor will an Anafi controller be compatible with Skydio 2.

But the video blogger wanted to make a sensational "headline" video and so he did. Just too bad he is either misinformed or mis-educated or had bad intent to start with.



/k

 

[kwilliams6045]

I'm not even sure this is relevant but should we even take into consideration where the two are built (USA vs China). If Skydio built the Mavic 2 Pro (with M2P's current technology) how much would it cost? 3k, 4k because of the high cost of labor here in the states?

And what of the inverse . . .

What if DJI built the Skydio 2 (with Skydio 2's current technology) how much would it cost? $300, maybe? The labor pool is a big factor in price. It kinda puts this into perspective (what you are actually getting).

Markup is also a factor but that even acerbates the point even more.

No offense but, If that was true then iPhones would be $250. DJI is no different than any other company...supply and demand. Skydio I’m sure will not be loosing money. By the time you add controllers and extra batteries your **** near the price of the m2z. Plus tariffs have increased some DJI product prices.
I’m down with an American company building a bad *** drone like they’re promoting here. The developers are awesome engineers from MIT with unbelievable resumes. I doubt they’ll trash their reputations by producing this drone and release junk. They’re doing smart marketing....smart enough to hook me on the first batch. Ordered mine by lunch time on opening day. lol

 

[Shaggy505]

No offense but, If that was true then iPhones would be $250. DJI is no different than any other company...supply and demand. Skydio I’m sure will not be loosing money. By the time you add controllers and extra batteries your **** near the price of the m2z. Plus tariffs have increased some DJI product prices.
I’m down with an American company building a bad *** drone like they’re promoting here. The developers are awesome engineers from MIT with unbelievable resumes. I doubt they’ll trash their reputations by producing this drone and release junk. They’re doing smart marketing....smart enough to hook me on the first batch. Ordered mine by lunch time on opening day. lol

Great analogy!

 

[Skywatcher2001]

No offense but, If that was true then iPhones would be $250. DJI is no different than any other company...supply and demand. Skydio I’m sure will not be loosing money. By the time you add controllers and extra batteries your **** near the price of the m2z. Plus tariffs have increased some DJI product prices.

None taken K and you bring up valid points. Those MIT and Cal Tech grads make a whole heck of a lot more than the labor from China. Sure pride goes into it but the point is (if) you have a price point in your head there are (basically) 3 factors that determine it: materials, labor and markup. These are static and affect the other. Decrease one and you can add to the other (and so on) to meet your price point . . .

I'm not doubting the quality of the Skydio 2 because there may be new tech created that DJI may NOT be aware of (MIT and Cal Tech I'm sure of it). We truly will not know until someone gets one into their hands. The industry DEFINITELY needs Skydio right now. Nothing pushes a veteran quarterback like the rookie right behind him. Either way . . . big things will be coming.

 

[baksideDisaster]

I pre-ordered. I film a lot of action sports, mainly backcountry snowboarding and snowmobiling. I love my Mavic Air, I love piloting and having manual control which is still going to produce the best shots IMO. With that said having a drone that actually can follow someone without needed to grab controller appeals to me, especially when I'm riding with just one other person. I either had one of two choices, film my friend only (which when riding backcountry you should always ride in pairs for safety in case you need to rescue your friend) or set follow me, leave controller on the ground and hope for the best. Second one is only way to get both people in the shot, but then you have to panic to get back to the controller before the battery died and locate the drone. And a lot of times, follow me mode on my Mavic Air films 10 feet, then looses subject. It really sucks at following, especially in trees and lighting changes. You really have to pretty much be in the open at all times with sun behind the drone. If the Skydio 2 works as advertised I can easily see it replacing my Mavic as the drone I film the most with in the backcountry.

Plus, pre-order is refundable so if it sucks and reviews that come out on the first batch are horrible, I'll just get my money back.

 

[kwilliams6045]

Anyone know how many orders were placed on the 1st day?
I got my order in but never really heard how many pre-order slots they had. I’m excited about this thing!!! Feel like a kid waiting on Christmas. Lol

 

[AntDX316]

Imagine a 2 year back order!! Would the R3 ever even come out? This is probably as bad as when all the preorders of what is great happened. The best is when we get enough money, we buy things of the past, it would be like buying the Skydio 2 for $700 used 3 years later.

 

[Bob4131]

None taken K and you bring up valid points. Those MIT and Cal Tech grads make a whole heck of a lot more than the labor from China. Sure pride goes into it but the point is (if) you have a price point in your head there are (basically) 3 factors that determine it: materials, labor and markup. These are static and affect the other. Decrease one and you can add to the other (and so on) to meet your price point . . .

I'm not doubting the quality of the Skydio 2 because there may be new tech created that DJI may NOT be aware of (MIT and Cal Tech I'm sure of it). We truly will not know until someone gets one into their hands. The industry DEFINITELY needs Skydio right now. Nothing pushes a veteran quarterback like the rookie right behind him. Either way . . . big things will be coming.

This is my speculation: The drone final assembly and test is in the US. That labor has to be a fraction of a person-hour per drone. So that cost is $10-$20. The delta cost of the physical building in Calif vs China could add another $10 - $20 per drone. I haven't seen where the circuit boards are assembled but Asian countries other than China have comparable costs. Assembly in the US vs China currently saves ~$100 per drone due to tariffs and shipping charges. Having final assembly and test near the engineers should reduce the typical start of manufacturing problems.
As volumes ramp up, they will be tempted to move final assembly and test to Mexico or at least out of California but they should be fine for now. I also don't know where subassemblies such as camera / gimbal are made. I have to believe that much of the final selling price is needed to cover the sunked R&D costs. They have ~100 employees so company labor costs are perhaps $20M/ year. They need to sell perhaps 100,000 units or more which is only 1% of the market, so I predict they will be successful.

 

[AntDX316]

This is my speculation: The drone final assembly and test is in the US. That labor has to be a fraction of a person-hour per drone. So that cost is $10-$20. The delta cost of the physical building in Calif vs China could add another $10 - $20 per drone. I haven't seen where the circuit boards are assembled but Asian countries other than China have comparable costs. Assembly in the US vs China currently saves ~$100 per drone due to tariffs and shipping charges. Having final assembly and test near the engineers should reduce the typical start of manufacturing problems.
As volumes ramp up, they will be tempted to move final assembly and test to Mexico or at least out of California but they should be fine for now. I also don't know where subassemblies such as camera / gimbal are made. I have to believe that much of the final selling price is needed to cover the sunked R&D costs. They have ~100 employees so company labor costs are perhaps $20M/ year. They need to sell perhaps 100,000 units or more which is only 1% of the market, so I predict they will be successful.

With the amount of tech involving in every single area of life, I assume they have found cutting edge ways to make it more profitable making it in the US than overseas. Some people don't update their knowledge base. It's not like how it was before but it could be. Without solid data we just don't know what has significantly changed. Look at how Google did their website compared to everyone else. Before, when I had serious internet issues, the only place I had some sort of connection to was Google. They had the lowest ping and everything all the time. No idea how they do it but if we look at Google how we see PCs we will never know. You cannot bring incomplete knowledge and understand. Just as we don't understand how the God system works, how the moon works, how the sun works, etc. We just need to accept and understand things are happening beyond our current understanding. Just as our hearts beat and us respirating w/o thinking about it. People have cleared out the basics so far that matters more to them are what is beyond basic such as people doing them wrong or right. If people cannot get into a position to actually function like everyone else, then they are immune to many sins of life but many positive options as well such as drone flying. You can't drone fly if you can't see. You cannot drone fly with your fingers w/ no hands.

People continue on at their position, whether they are a pilot, yacht owner, business owner, etc. We should stop to appreciate the drones we have and how they work. Back then you had to make your own drone but jello, range, feed quality, inability to see through the recorded camera, being able to control the recorded camera, etc. was super bad. I got back into drones after 2015 with the DJI Spark in March 2019. Things have taken off ever since. It's a fantasy to fly what we have now. It's cooler than messing with your legos thinking they do things. It's cooler than doing simulation on the PC that isn't real. With the drones you basically turn life into a diorama. I don't really trust flying over people and property w/ the Inspire 1 Pro (X3) but w/ the M2s, P4, and Spark I have no issue. One compass error and a blackout out of VLOS, you are done. M2s have their 2nd compass with the vision system or something, P4 has 2 Compasses, Spark idk what it has but it never fails. Nothing beats the Inspires size though. Just using it in 3rd person is cool.

 

[OldBlueHeron]

With the amount of tech involving in every single area of life, I assume they have found cutting edge ways to make it more profitable making it in the US than overseas. Some people don't update their knowledge base. It's not like how it was before but it could be. Without solid data we just don't know what has significantly changed. Look at how Google did their website compared to everyone else. Before, when I had serious internet issues, the only place I had some sort of connection to was Google. They had the lowest ping and everything all the time. No idea how they do it but if we look at Google how we see PCs we will never know. You cannot bring incomplete knowledge and understand. Just as we don't understand how the God system works, how the moon works, how the sun works, etc. We just need to accept and understand things are happening beyond our current understanding. Just as our hearts beat and us respirating w/o thinking about it. People have cleared out the basics so far that matters more to them are what is beyond basic such as people doing them wrong or right. If people cannot get into a position to actually function like everyone else, then they are immune to many sins of life but many positive options as well such as drone flying. You can't drone fly if you can't see. You cannot drone fly with your fingers w/ no hands.

People continue on at their position, whether they are a pilot, yacht owner, business owner, etc. We should stop to appreciate the drones we have and how they work. Back then you had to make your own drone but jello, range, feed quality, inability to see through the recorded camera, being able to control the recorded camera, etc. was super bad. I got back into drones after 2015 with the DJI Spark in March 2019. Things have taken off ever since. It's a fantasy to fly what we have now. It's cooler than messing with your legos thinking they do things. It's cooler than doing simulation on the PC that isn't real. With the drones you basically turn life into a diorama. I don't really trust flying over people and property w/ the Inspire 1 Pro (X3) but w/ the M2s, P4, and Spark I have no issue. One compass error and a blackout out of VLOS, you are done. M2s have their 2nd compass with the vision system or something, P4 has 2 Compasses, Spark idk what it has but it never fails. Nothing beats the Inspires size though. Just using it in 3rd person is cool.

 

[Skywatcher2001]

This is my speculation: The drone final assembly and test is in the US. That labor has to be a fraction of a person-hour per drone. So that cost is $10-$20. The delta cost of the physical building in Calif vs China could add another $10 - $20 per drone. I haven't seen where the circuit boards are assembled but Asian countries other than China have comparable costs. Assembly in the US vs China currently saves ~$100 per drone due to tariffs and shipping charges. Having final assembly and test near the engineers should reduce the typical start of manufacturing problems.
As volumes ramp up, they will be tempted to move final assembly and test to Mexico or at least out of California but they should be fine for now. I also don't know where subassemblies such as camera / gimbal are made. I have to believe that much of the final selling price is needed to cover the sunked R&D costs. They have ~100 employees so company labor costs are perhaps $20M/ year. They need to sell perhaps 100,000 units or more which is only 1% of the market, so I predict they will be successful.

Bob you get it! It's all about numbers and how to reach a particular price point without cost overruns. You are correct. We've seen this with NAFTA and the amount of labor that could be saved by US Companies moving production south of the border. Instead of the savings going into the product, most companies put it in their pockets. You went much further into the details of it (thank you for that).

DJI leading the market doesn't have this problem. I don't think their labor pool can get any cheaper. Skydio will force them to divert profit to technology (if) they want to stay relevant.

 

[drakkor]

If I was the blogger who posted that video - I would take a few more years in school. Before you post a "headliner" "take down" video - you should really do your research.

1. Multi-charger is announced but not ready yet. It is listed in the Skydio FAQ. (Charging Skydio 2 Batteries)

2. Wi-Fi - well all the drones run on some kind Wi-Fi - 2.4 & 5 GHz are Wi-Fi frequencies and DJI have been good at "mitigating" as much interference as possible. But it is still running on the same frequencies as your home Wi-Fi - and gets the same interference from Wi-Fi. DJI are really good at it - so zero complaints about that. Is Skydio as good - probably not. But how often do you need to fly your drone 3+ KM away? As long as I have a range of about 750-1000m and it is stable - I'm happy.

3. Battery placement - if the poster knew about gravity - he would not put the battery above the prop's. It is MUCH more stable to have the main weight below the propellers.

4. If he had researched Mavic/Mavic Pro issues - he would also know there are quite a few "battery" failures - where batteries have "detached" - most likely due to clips not being clipped in perfectly - or battery plastic clips damaged. So if Skydio battery is stuck on with magnets - and have been tested in extreme maneuvers I actually think it will be safer than relying on "pilots" to make certain batteries are completely clipped in - and hopefully it won't interfere with on-board compass....

5. He claimed battery prices was not know. They are also listed on the Skydio website (Skydio 2 Frequently Asked Questions) - extra batteries are $99,- a piece.

All the above information has been on the FAQ since I purchased - and I was one of the first I think (before the "email" went out at least)

The only new thing I spotted in the FAQ is the part about the Anafi controller. You CAN'T use Parrots controller as software is different.

But the video blogger wanted to make a sensational "headline" video and so he did. Just too bad he is either misinformed or mis-educated or had bad intent to start with.



/k

I guess you have some good point. Thanks for replying

 

[nafisgal]

Actually everything I am seeing in forums and networks about the Skydio 2 .. focus on its spectacular "Follow Me" mode ... But there is no talk about the other functions that every Dron should have ...
Like any launch, a prudential wait should be kept until its testers and its customers give a good account of their experiences.

 

[agchenry]

I wonder if it will be controllable with Apple Watch like the first one

 

[Bob1956]

I see it has an RC (at additional cost) so out of the box it's the most advanced selfie machine on the market. For those of us who don't inflict selfies on our loved ones or the general public, I have no use for it's key feature. When I do show up in my footage I have to tell people "See that speck at the edge? That's me." I'm also not a twenty something dirt biking up a mountain . If I did do follow me movies all I would have to show is "Here's my Skydio following me to the hardware store". "Here it follows me as I mow the lawn". Thrilling stuff.

And some of us actually enjoy flying our drones ourselves.

 

[AnzacJack]

How does this conform to the VLOS rule when it flies itself and you don't monitor it while it's flying?
I don't know if I could trust my money like that.

Interesting comment
VLOS not such a big problem, but regs around full autonomous flights may be an issue in some countries

In Australia

Autonomous aircraft systems
2.1.5.4 While there are various degrees of automation in UAS, an autonomous operation is one in which there is no ability for the pilot to intervene in the conduct of the flight. This does not include lost link situations. However, CASA’s current focus is on RPA operations, which are, by definition, operations that are not autonomous operations.
2.1.5.5 Autonomous operations may be approved but will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require the submission of an acceptable safety case to CASA. If operators are considering autonomous operations, they should contact CASA, at [email protected], as early as possible in the planning stages.
A note on automation
2.1.5.6 Automation—as opposed to autonomy—can assist in reducing the amount of human intervention required and can improve the quality, accuracy and precision of an RPA operation. The ability to automate some aspects of the RPA operation can result in a safer overall operation, as well as introducing some different risks (e.g. understanding exactly what each automated function does and how they relate to one another).

Again, it’s technology moving faster than regulators, and rules are going to be all over the place.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

an autonomous operation is one in which there is no ability for the pilot to intervene in the conduct of the flight

So fully autonomous deliveries (like being trialled in the Loganlea area) are ok to fly BVLOS in this case, but the organisation running those drones can't have an ability intervene ??
Seems a dangerous thing to do if there is no override available.

I guess the hobbyist / professional drone programmes like all the common ones are then not covered under that 2.1.5.4 section as they can easily be overridden ?

Of course with some operations like close in, repeatable flights, you can remain in VLOS and then it might be ok.
But only if each flight is ok'd by CASA ?

Like you said interesting times coming with how they will keep up with making rules for new tech.