US Drone Manufacturer Skydio Plans To Be The First In Fully Autonomous Operations

Executive *******

***** *** *** ***** **** *** allow ***** ********** ******* ***** ********** and *** ********* ** ***** **** remains **********, ******'* ***** ********** ****** operations *** *** ********** ********** ****** make *** ******* ******* **** ** will ** ***** ** ***** **** operations ** * "*********** ******".

************, *** *******'* **** ** ~*** engineers (************* ****** **** **** ********* in *** ******) *** *********** ***** ($562 ******* ****** ***-****, ********* $*** million ** ********) *** *** ******* in * ********* ******** ** ***** full ******** *****.

Background: ******

****** ** * ******* ******-***** ******* founded ** **** ** ***** *** graduates, ************ **** ********* ******* ********. ***** *** *******'* ***** ***** (**) *** ********-********, *** ****** ******** a *** ***** ******** ****** ** the ********* *****, ******* **** ******, Skydio ******* ** ****** *** ******** drones *** ***** ** *** ********** and ********** ***** (*** *** ****** on **** ****:** ***** ************ ****** ******** *********, Focusing ** **********).

***** *** *******'* **********, ****** *** raised $*** *******, *********$*** ******* ** ****** * ** a $*.* ******* *********. **** ** ************* ****** **** any ***** ***** ******* ** **** covered (******,***********,********* ****,*****, ***.).

******* ** *** *******'* ***********, ******'* employee ******* **** ***** *** ******** to *** ********* ********* ***** - Sklydio*** ~*** *********(~*** ** ***** *** *********) ** LinkedIn ******** ** **** **** ~*** total ********* **** **** ***********.

Deployed **,*** ****** *** *,***+ ********** *********

***** ****** ****** *****, ****** ********* **** ** *** deployed **,*** ****** (**** ** ***** are **********, *** ******** ******, ** Skydio **** ****) *** *,***+ ********** customers, **** ***** **** **** ***** drone ********* **** **** *** ******* (******,***********,********* ****, ***.).

***** ** * ******, *******, ** that ****** **** *** ***** ** physical ******** *********** ** *** *****-********* companies **. *******, ****** ** ******** other ************, **** ** ***********, ****** safety, ********, ***. ***:** ***** ************ ****** ******** *********, Focusing ** **********

***********, *** ******* **** **** **** it's "****** **** *** ******** *****" as **** ********* *** ********** ** such ************, ** *** ** ** Regulatory & ****** ******* ****** ****:

We've ****** **** *** ******** ***** ******* **'* ** **** ** ********** **** ****** *** ******** *********. It's hard to say that there's any single reason right we are lucky to serve almost every use case. In the enterprise space industrial inspection is a core area of focus. And **** ** ***** ********* **** *** * ***** *** **** ** ******* ** *****, *** ** ******* **** *****. So the same drone can really serve both use cases in a way that other products might have a harder time of of satisfying [emphasis added]

FAA ***** **********

*** ** *** ******* ******* ** drone ******** ** ****** ****** ****** **** ** ***** (BVLOS) *************** ******* ****** ** ** ******* to ** ******** ***** ** *********. These ********** **** *** ******** ********* during *** *****, **** *** ******, etc.

** ****** ***** ***********, ********* *** apply *** ***** ******* ** ********* the **** *** * ******** ******** on **** (*.*., ***** ****** **********), operations **** ******, ***.

*******, *** ******* ***** ** *********** and ******* ***** ******* * ****** operator **** ** *** ***** ******** inspections/patrols ********. ** ***** *****, **** customers *** **** ******** ***** ******* are ***** ******** ** **** * person ********** *** ***** ********** (******** it *** ** **** ********). **** that **** *********, **** ******** ********, **** ******* ********* ** ******* these ******* *** ****** ********* ** an ***** ** ******** ******.

********* ** ******** **** **** ******** from ******** ***** *********, ** *** take ** ** * ****** *** require *********** ****** **** * ******** and * ***** ******** ** ******* such *******.

Regulatory ********

****** *** ***** ***** ********* **** IPVM **** ****'** **** ********** ********, and ***** ** ***** ****** ** helping *** *** ******* *** *********** to ***** ***** *** ********** **********. For *******, ******'* ** ****** ****:

** ****,there *** ** ******** ********** ********* ****** ** *** *** **** ******** * ************** ** * *** ********** ********* designed to accelerate and enable highly automated operations beyond line of sight. And we ** ******* *** *** ** ********* ** ************ *** ******** **** *********'* *************** ** * *********** ***. It hasn't happened yet. But we know that it's under work and the industry looks forward to the FAA is working on that in that space, which we which we know is happening now. ... And I believe the recommendations have been on the books now for more than a year. But it takes time to write rules for FAA. To their credit has been enabling highly advanced operations even in advance of a new rule, which is something we were very grateful andwe ** ***** ******* **** *** *** *** ** ******** *** *** ** ******* ***** ****** ******** *** **'** ****** **** *** **** *** *********. [emphasis added]

***** *********** ******* **** * **** time ** ********, ** **** ******* caution ** ********* *** **** *** new *********** **** ** ******** *** published. ********, **** ***** ***** ***** are *********, *** *** **** ***** need **** **** ** ******** ******** applications *** *******, ********** **** ********** operations **** *******.

Skydio **** ** ***** ** * "*********** ******", "**** ******** ** ********"

****** **** **** **** ** ******* to ***** ***** ********** ********** ****** than *** *********** ** * "*********** margin":

** ***** ** ******** * ****** interest ** ******** ****** ********* *** then ***** ********** ********** ** *** right ***, ** * ****** ********** with ******.And **'** ***** ** *** ***** ** **** ** ** ***, ***** ** ****** **** ** ****** **** ****** ** *** ******** ** * *********** ******. [emphasis added]

*** ******* ***** ********** **** ** believes ** ******** **** ********** ***** due ** *** "**** ******** ** autonomy", ** ****** **** ****:

** ****'* ***** **'** *****, *** we ***** ****** ****we'll *** ***** ****** ****** ** ** ****** ** *** **** ******** ** ********. [emphasis added]

"Highly *********" ********** ***

****** **** **** **** *** ******* operations *** "****** *********" ***, *********** the** **** ********** ********** *** ******** ********* ** its ********** ************:

**,operations ** ******* *** ****** *********. And so the seeds from which fully autonomous operations will sprout.

**on *** ** ***** ********, ** **** * ********** ** ****** **** ***** *** ******** ** *** *** ******* ** ******* ***** ** ***** ******. One is the 3D ****, where the operator is simply specifying a volume for the drone to go build a 3D model of and then monitoring the execution of the caption of that model as opposed to manually flying the drone. So that's a paradigm that we use in many different places. We typically leverage the vehicles ability to stay intrinsically safe. So ********** *** ********** ****** ** **** **** **** **'** *** ******* **** ********* ** ** ***, *** **** ******** *** **** ** *** *** ******* ** ** ******* * ****, and building the controls and user interface necessary to make it easy for the the operating indicate what they would like to be able to accomplish and then having the drone go accomplish that task [emphasis added]

***** ******, ***********, ***., ** *** have * ** **** ******* (** the ****), ********** ******** ********* ** available **** **** ****** ***********. *** example, ********* **** ****** ** **** this **********, ***** ******* **** ** *** *******:

Real-time ******** *********

*** *** ******* ********** ********* *** re-routes ** ***** ********* *** ******* future ****** *****.

*** ******* **********, **** ****** ** the ******** ***** ********** *******, ***** the **** ********** ****** ** ******** instead ** ******** *********** *** *****.

**** *** *** ****** *** ****** generation ** ****** ****** (*******, ******** *** ****** * ***** ** 2021) ** ***** ************ ********* ****** for ********, ** ** ****** ****** how ***** ********** ********** *** ******** avoidance ******** ******* ** ****-**** *********.

Indoor *********** ** **** **** ***** ********** ******* **********

****** ********** **** ******** ********** ****** *************** **** *** *******'* ******** ** capable ** ********** ********** ******* *** will **** "***** ** **********" ** fully ********** ********** **** *** ********** framework ** ** *****:

**'* ********* ** *********** **** ** also ******* ************* ******* ***we're ******** ******* ********* **** *****, ***** ********** ******** ** ** ****** *********** where we're not subject to the same regulatory oversight from the FAA. So **** * ******* ********** **********, **'** ***** **** *** **** ******** *******. So we've got the underlying technology. We're learning and refining and increasing our overall reliability through those types of indoor operations so **** **** ** ** **** *** ********** ********* ** ******* *****, ************, **'** **** ***** ** ********** ***** *** *****, ***** **** ****** ******* ************ ******* [emphasis added]

*** ******* ** ******* ******* *** outdoors ** * ************** *** ******, as *** *********** ***** *********** ******* (see****** ******** ****** $** ******* *** Security ******) ** ******** (*** ******, ***********, Sunflower ****, ***.).

*******, ****** ***** ********* *** ****** operations **** ********, ********* *****.*******.***(****** ********** **** ***** ********* **** ~ * ***** ***). ***********, ****** told **** **** ****** ********** ********** to * *********** **** ** *** company's *******, *** **** ******** ** provide *** ********* **** ** *** ratio.

****** *** ******* ********** *** ************* different, ** ******* ****** *** **** with **** *********** (*****, *******, ***.), so ** ******* ** ** **** how **** *** *******'* ****** ********** will ** **** ** ********** ** its ******* ********** ** *** **** of *** ***.

Skydio's ***** ********** ********, "*************" ***** **********

** *** ****** ****** *****, ****** also ************ ***** ********** ************ **** ********* "****** ***** **********" - * **** **** *** ******* is "************* *****," ** ** **** IPVM:

We **** ***** ****** ******* **** **** ** ******* **** ********** **** *** *** and break through regulatory barriers for our customers. And today we **** ******** ****** ** ******* *** ********** *** ****** ****** ********* that allowed them to operate scattered drones at scale beyond line of sight, even remotely with no flight crew on site and no need to use expensive technology like radar capable of detecting crewed aircraft. So **'** ******* * *** *** ** ************ ***** ********** [emphasis addded]

*** *** *-****** ******* **** *** company's ****** ***** ******* ***** ***** regulatory ********:

****** **** **** **** ** *** a **** ** * ********* *** are ******* **** ****** ********* ** waivers. ******* ****** **** * ***** team ******** ** *** ***** *** employees, ****** **** **** *** "*****[***] well ***** [***] ****** *****".

* ******* ********** ******* ****** *** its *********** ** **** ****** ******* extra *** *** ********** ****, ***** companies **** ****** **** ***** ********* get ******* ** ** ********** ****. On *** ******** ****, ****** ****** are ********* **** ********* **** *********** (for *******, *** ********* ***** ****** drones ***** $**,***-$**,*** *****, *********'* ***** ***** ~$***,***).

"Dozens" ** ******* *******

****** **** **** **** ** ****, Skydio ******** "******" ** ***** *******, which ** **** **** ***** ********* in *** ******** *****.

***** *** ******* **** **'* ******** 20+ *******, ****** ******** ** ***** ************ **** * ******* ** ******, as *** ******* ***** *****:

**** **** **** *** **** ** find ** ***** *** **** *********** in *** ****** ** ******* ******* and ******* ****** ** **** ******** (FAA ******** ***** **** * ******* for ******, *** *** ******* ********* to **** **** **** *** ******** 8 *** *** **** ** ******* a ******* ******). *******, **** ** 8 *******, ****** ***** *** **** waivers **** **** ********* ** *** field.

****** *** *** ******* ** *** question ********* *** *********** ** *** time ** ***********. ** **** ****** the ****** **/**** ****** ********.

X10 ** * "***** *******"

****** ********** **** *** ********* ******* * "***** *******" *** * drone "***** ** *** ****** ****** line ** *****" *** ** **** factors:

• ****** *** * "*** ******* ********** to *** *****" *** *********** ** connectivity (**-**, ** ********, *** ********* deployments)
• ******** ***** **** ******** **** ******* and *** ******* ******* *** ****** operations ************
• ******** ************ ** *** **** ******
• *** ** ******** **** * ********* as "* **** ******"

**** **** ******* * ****** ********* the *** ****** ***** ********* ** the ****** ****.

Autonomous ********** ******** ******* ** *****

********** *********** *** ** ********** *** greatly ******** ***** *****, ** * high ****** ** ******** *** ******** a ******* ** *****, ** ****** told ****:

**** ** *** ****,many ** ***** ********* *** ******** ********** ****** ** ** ****** ** ****** ****** and now they can insource ********* *** **** ** ****** *** *** ******* ** ***** ***, whether it's inspecting a power plant inspecting a bridge, conducting site security, without ****** ** ***** ***** ****** ** ****** *********** ****** ******. [emphasis added]