New Skydio Enterprise X10 Drone Examined
After sunsetting its consumer sales a few months ago, Skydio delivered a self-claimed "breakthrough for enterprise drones" with its new X10 drone. But how is the X10 drone different from previous Skydio models, and how does it compare to competitors?
In this report, we examine the new X10 drone, based on our interview with Skydio and the company's recent Ascend event, including:
- General Specifications
- Camera Upgrades
- People And Vehicle Detection
- Navigation And Obstacle Avoidance Updates
- NightSense - "Zero-Light" Obstacle Avoidance
- Payload Flexibility
- X10 And X10D
- X10 Dock
- Pricing
- Skydio Extend - Integrations Library
For more background on Skydio, see our previous reports:
- US Drone Manufacturer Skydio Dropping Consumers, Focusing on Enterprise
- US Drone Manufacturer Skydio Plans To Be The First In Fully Autonomous Operations
- Skydio 2 Drone Tested
Executive *******
****** ********** *** ************ *** ****** *****, **** ** ********** **** *** zero-light ******** ********* *** * ******* of ************, ****** ******. ************, ** has ******** *** ***** ** *** newest *** ***** ******** ****, ** ** *** **** **** processing ***** (********* ****** ****** ***), an ********** ******, *** * ****** thermal ****** (******* **. *******). *******, the *** ** ********** ********* ($**,***+/*****), and ****** *** *********** **** ***** its ******** *** *** ** ******** security.
************
****** ********** ********* *** *** ***** during*** ****** *****, * *+ ***** ***** ***** the ******* ********* *** *** ***** improvements, *** ***** ** *** ******, etc.
*** *** *******'* *** ********* ***** below:
General **************
*** *** ***** *** ******* ************ compared ** ******'* ******** *****, ** it *** * ******** ****** ******* life (** **. ** ***), ** quicker ** ******, *** ** **% faster (*** *** *** ** **** as *****), ********* *****'* **************. ******** ** ***********, *** ****** X10 *** * ****** ****** ****, has ****** *** *****, *** ** smaller **** **** ***********.
*** ******* ***** ***** * **** detailed ********** ** ******* ************** (******, flight ****, **** **********, ***.) ******* X10, ******'* ******** ***** **,******'* *****, ************ ****' *** *****:
Navigation *** ******** ********* *******
****** ****** ************ ** ********** *** obstacle *********, ** *** ******* ********* the ********* ***** *** ********* *** navigation ******* ** ******** *** *********** in **** ******* *** **** ** spectrum.
*** ********* *****, ****** *** **** two ***, ********* ****** ****** ***** and * ******** ****, ******* ** only *** ****** ***** ** ****, allowing *** * *** ******** ** computing *****, ********* ** *** *******'* claims.
****** **** ******** *** * ********** cameras, ** ****** "***** *** ***** camera[s] **** *******" *** ****** **** camera ****** ************* ** ******* * custom ****** **** ***** ******** *** camera's *********** ** **** ******* *** near ** *********:
** ********** **** ****** *** *****, *** **** ******* *** "**** than ** ****** **********", ****** ********** accuracy, *** ****** ******** *********:
**** *** *** ********** ** ******,we *** ************* ********* **** *** ****** ******* **** ******-******** ********** ******* *** **** *** ******* ******* by having the NVIDIA Orion and state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon chips that have 10x *** **** ******** ********** with increased ******* ***** **'** **** ** ******* ***** ******* ** ****** **********.
We're **** ** ***** *** ***** ****** **** ******* **** * ****** ******... We're able to go to more **** ** ****** ********** that we have compared to the previous generation. So what that means is that our sensor resolution is so much better than what we had before that we should ** **** ** ****** *** ***** **** ******* ********* **** **** ****** ********. So that resulted in what I consider a best-in-class ********** ****** [emphasis added]
**** *** *** ****** *** ** X2 ******, ** ** ****** ****** how ***** ******** ************ ****** *** performance.
******'* *** *** **** ****** ** GPS-based ********** **** ********* ****** ** not ********.
NightSense - "****-*****" ******** *********
*** ******* ** *** ********** ******* to ********* *** **** ** **** makes **** "*** ***** ****" * drone **** **** ******-***** ********** *** obstacle ********* ** ***** *** ** the ****, ********* ** *** *******'* claims.
*** *** *******'* ********** **** ****** its ***** :
********** ** ** *********** ******** ** Skydio's ******** **********, ** ** *** only ***-***** ********** **** ******** ********* disabled, ********* ** *** *******'* *******.
** *******, ******** ********* ** *** always ********* **** ****** ***********. **** extends **** *****/***-***** ********** ** ****. For *******, *********** ********* ********* ** only ********** *********.
Camera ********
*** ***'* ****** ******* **** *** of *** **** ****** ** ******** made ** *** *******, ** ****** increased *** ****** ** ******* *** drone *** ******** *** ********** ** its ******* ******.
*** ******* ********* *** ********* ****** payloads, *****-* *** *****-*, **** ****** two ******* ***** ******* *** * thermal ******. *** *******, ******'* ******** model, **, *** **** *** ******* light ****** *** ** ******** ******* camera.
***** *** ******* ************* ******** *** resolution ** *** ******* ****** **** the *** ***** ***** (******* **. 320x256), *** ***** ***** ** ******* light ******* (*** ***** ********) ******** approximately *** ****, ** *** ******* below *****:
**** *** ****** *******, ****** ****** its ********** ** ****** *.* ** cracks *** **** ******* ****** **** 800ft, ** *** ******* ***** *****:
****** **** **** **** ***** ***** conditions, *** ***** ****** **** ****** ~10ft **** **** *** *****:
For **** ****** **** **** ** *** *** ** ******* **** ** *** **** ** * ****** / *.* ****. For surfaces with a lot of texture, color differences, or shading, 1 - 2 meters / 3.2 - 6.5 feet may be needed. [emphasis added]
*** ******* ********* ** **** **** this ******* *********** ***** ***** ******* only ** *** ********'* ******* ** read *** ******* ***** ** * great ******** ***** ****, *** ** not ******** **** ********* ******* ***** recognition *** **** *******, ****** *** cameras (*.*., *****, ******** ***, ***.):
Skydio **** *** ***** ******* ***** *********** ******** ** ************. The ability for a drone operator to read a license plate is purely based on the visible light available at the time of capture. If a license plate is captured with enough visible light around it (such as driving under a street lamp), then the operator will be able to read the plate numbers. [emphasis added]
Relatively ***** ****** ****
**** **** *** ***** *** ***** cameras **** ********** ***** ****** ***** for ***** ********** ***********: **** */*" 48MP ****, **** ****** *" **.*** CMOS, *** **** */*.*" **** ****.
***** **** *** *** ****** ***, this ***** ********* ***** ***'* *********** in *** *** ***-***** **********.
People *** ******* *********
****** **** **** **** *** ******* "has **** *********" *** ********* ** people *** ******** *** *** *** mention *** **** ** ************ ****** that (*.*., ** *****/**** ***********, ** human ********** ***********, ***.):
*** ****** ******** ******has **** ********* *** ******* ** ********* * ****** ***/** * *******. The drone can be programmed to then follow the subject. Note **** **** *** **** ** *** ********* * ******** ****** ** ******* (i.e. we cannot recognize a male with a red jacket, simply all persons within the field of view). [emphasis added]
******'* ***, *******, *** ****** * selected ****** ***/** ******* *** ****** customer-designed ***** ***** ** "******* ************* via *** ****** ** ***** ******".
Payload ***********
*** ****** *** ** ******** ** its ******* ***********, ** *** *****'* airframe ****** *** **** ********* ***********, and ****** ******** * ********* ******* equipment ** *** *******:
***** ** *****, ****** *** *** payload ***********, *** ******* ****-*** ****** in **** **** *** ***** *** total ****** ** ******** ******* ************: at *.** *** **** ********* *** a ******* ******* ****** ** *.** lbs, **** ****** **** *** *.** lbs ***** ** ******** (*** ********* to*** *****)
****** ******** ** ******* ******* *** its ********, *** **** ******** ***** weights **** ** ********** ** *.** lbs.
X10 *** ****
******'* ****** ***** ***** ** *** models, *** *******, *** ********** *** ******** ************, respectively.
***** *** ****** *** ******* ** their ***** (**** *****, **** ******* capabilities, **** *******, ***.) *** ******** version ****** **** ************ **********, ********* to******'* ******** ************:
**** (* ***** ********* *********** *** military ********* *** ******* ********)features * *****-**** ***** **** ******* ********* ********* ****** ** **** *******-*********, and its visual navigation system means thatit *** *** ***** ************ ******* ***. [emphasis added]
**** *** **** **** ** ******** the ******* ** ***** *******. *** more ******* ** *** ***** ******* works, *** *** ********:***** ******* ******* ********
****** *** *** ********* ** *** the ******* *** *** *** **** will ******, *** **** ******* **** X10D **** ** **** ********* **** its ********** ******.
X10 ****
** *** *** *** * ********* frame **** ******'* ******** ********** ******, the ******* **** ******* * *** dock *** *** *** *****. ****** declined ** ******* ** *** ******* date, **********, *** ****** **** *** X10, ** ***** ** ******* *********** on *** ****.
** **** ****** *** ****** **** this *********** ******* *********.
*** *******, ** **** ** ************* smaller **** *** ***********, ** *** graphic ***** *****:
*** *** ** **** ********** ********** (31.1” * **.*” * *.*” *** 26.1” * **.*“ * *.*”, ************), so ** ** *** ******** **** X10 **** **** ** ********** ** X2 ****.
*******
****** ******** ** ******* ** *** pricing, *** ****** *** *******'* ****** Event, * ******'* ************** ********* **** the ***** *** *** **** ** comparable **** ** *** *** *** drone *** ** ********* ** * one-time-purchase **** ********** ******** ********* ** a **** *****, ** *** ******* below *****:
***** ***** ** ** ******** ********* pricing *** *** ** *****,*** ********* ***** * ****** ** different ********** $**,*** ** $**,*** *** *** (depending ** *************), ***** **** ******** is **** ** *** ** * ballpark ********** *** ***'* *****.
********** ******** **** ** **** *** available *** $**,***-$**,*** ** * *****-**** term. ****** ******** ** ******* ** the ******* ************ ****** *** ********* that ******** **** ** ****** ****** Deck *** **** *********, ** ****, and ***** ******* ***** ** ********* as * ************.
************, *** ******* **** **** **** its **** *** ******** *** ********* separately *** ******** ** ******* ** the *******. **** ******** **** *** Dock ***** ** ********** **** *** X10's *****, *** ******** ********* ***** be **** ********* **** $*,*** (**** NightSense ******* ***** *** **** *********).
Skydio ****** - ************ *******
********* ***, ****** **** ********* *** integrations *******, ****** ******, ***** ******** a ******* ** ***-***** *********, ********* integrations **** ****, *****, *****, *** more, ** *** ******* ***** *****:
******, *******, ********* **** ****** ****** supports *** *** ******, ** *** company ****:
****** ****** ****** ** *** ******** of **** ******** ** *** ****** drone *** *** ***** *** ******* to *** ** *** ***** ******.
*** *******, *** ******* **** **** that ***** ** "** ******" ** access ******'* **** *** ****:
****** ****** ******** ************ *** ********* and ********** ******* ** ****** *** APIs *** ****, ** ****** ************ between ****** ***** *** ******* ******.There ** ** ****** *** ****. Beyond that, we do not publish our pricing [emphasis added]
**** **** *** ******* ******** ** comment ** ****** ****** ** **** to ***, ** ***** ***** ** other ******** ********** **** ****** ****** that *** *** ******** *********.