Reviews |Skydio R1 self-flying drone gets Car Follow feature, new flying modes in first update

Skydio R1 self-flying drone gets Car Follow feature, new flying modes in first update

Skydio R1 self-flying drone gets Car Follow feature, new flying modes in first update
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The Skydio R1, the autonomous camera drone, has received new flying modes and other enhancements in its first major firmware update.

As well as Car Follow, which allows users to autonomously capture footage along public roadways, the self-flying R1 drone is one of four new cinematic modes added in the update. The others include Quarter Lead, Quarter Follow and Car Tripod.

Other new features include:

Improved lead mode: we’ve further optimized the Skydio Autonomy Engine’s prediction system for more intelligent behavior around obstacles.
Updated landing experience: R1 now shows the user exactly where it is going to land.
Improved UI allowing for easier selection of cinematic modes

Powered by its NVIDIA Jetson AI supercomputer, the Skydio R1 runs neural networks that can identify subjects to film via the R1’s 13 cameras.

“With Skydio R1, cinematography becomes a software defined experience,” says Adam Bry, CEO and co-founder of Skydio.

“That means we can regularly introduce fundamentally new capabilities over time
for all existing and future users. The new cinematic modes, including Car Follow, improved Lead Mode, and other improvements throughout the system, are just the first of many software updates for R1 that will unlock new features, built on top of the Skydio Autonomy Engine.”