The Skydio R1 is becoming the drone GoPro should have made

The Skydio R1 is becoming the drone GoPro should have made

6 years ago
Anonymous $CLwNLde341

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/5/30/17408394/skydio-r1-gopro-karma-car-follow-mode-software-update

The Skydio R1 is not a perfect drone. It shoots 4K footage, but the image quality pales in comparison to what you get from DJI’s drones. It is relatively big, it doesn’t fold up, and at $2,500, it’s far too expensive for... basically anyone. But today, the small California startup is adding an update to the R1’s flagship feature — autonomous flight capabilities — that will make that price tag hurt a tiny bit less.

Most notably, Skydio’s first big software update adds the ability to follow vehicles. The company has trained the neural networks that run on the drone’s embedded computer to recognize everything from cars to golf carts to 4x4s. Skydio says it’s also improved the drone’s (already impressive) ability to avoid and navigate around obstacles, meaning the R1 should be able to follow you basically wherever you drive, filming the whole way.