U.S. Autonomous Drone Maker Skydio Announces New KeyFrame Capability for Breakthrough Autonomous Cinematography.
Also launches Skydio 2+ with hardware enhancements and a new Skydio Care protection plan.
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, the complex camera moves with just a few taps. Skydio also announced the availability of Skydio 2+, a drone that 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 difficult to fly, easy to crash, and unusable in locations with a lot of GPS or compass interference, making it practically impossible for even the most experienced pilot to capture dynamic, fluid, and creative photos in difficult situations. Anyone can now create impossible camera motion that is smooth, precise, and repeatable thanks to the advent of KeyFrame.
“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.”
With a few clicks, the pilot selects their KeyFrames, and Skydio Autonomy builds a smooth camera route between them. The user can play it back, forward, or backward, as many times as they want at any speed they want once the KeyFrames are established.
“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 an enhanced wireless range and battery life to get the most out of every adventure.
Skydio 2 made the autonomous flight more accessible than ever before in 2019. Skydio’s independence allowed them fascinating innovation in a variety of areas, including solo work, outstanding travel, and scenery cinematography, and documenting motor and action sports. 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, Skydio 2 enabled enterprise customers to perform higher quality inspections faster with minimal pilot training.
With an 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.
The Skydio 2+ expands on the company’s industry-leading 360° obstacle avoidance and exceptional ease of operation, adding two omnidirectional external antennae to enhance the drone’s range from 3.5 km to 6 km for a starting price of $1099. The Skydio 2+ Battery now has a 20% longer flight time, and the Skydio 2+ BeaconTM now has a 3 km range.
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.
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.