Skydio Announces New Car Follow Feature as Part of First Major Software Update for R1

Skydio Autonomy Engine is always improving via meaningful software updates

Redwood City, CA – May 30, 2018 – Skydio, the makers of the first self-flying camera, announced today the first major expansion of Skydio R1’s capabilities. With the software update available today, R1 users now have the ability to follow cars and other vehicles. It is perfect for capturing all of the action on your next adventure, from off-road 4x4ing, autocross racing, to following your golf cart on the course – R1 will capture stunning footage autonomously.

“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.”

The Skydio Autonomy Engine sees the world through R1’s 13 cameras, giving it the ability to map and understand the world in real-time, allowing it to be fully autonomous and independently capture footage that once required a Hollywood film crew. Powered by NVIDIA Jetson, a powerful AI supercomputer, R1 runs neural networks that can identify subjects to film. Skydio R1’s new Car Follow feature is the result of training these networks on large datasets of labelled images of automobiles.

Car follow opens up completely new use cases for Skydio R1, making it an even more versatile storytelling tool. It is perfect for autonomously capturing automotive adventures that happen off of public roadways.

R1’s new features include:

● 4 new cinematic modes, including: Quarter Lead, Quarter Follow, Car Follow, Car Tripod
● 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 Skydio’s R1 is available for athletes, adventurers, and creators alike at www.skydio.com in the USA and Canada for $2499 USD.

About Skydio.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Redwood City, CA, Skydio is a robotics company that makes flying tools that free your hands and mind. Backed by IVP, Playground Global, NVIDIA, Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, Skydio has raised a total of $70 million in funding. The company’s first product, R1, is a fully autonomous camera that flies itself by combining artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced robotics into a tool that anyone can pick up and use in minutes.