Axon, the global leader in connected public safety technologies, and Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight, today announced a strategic partnership to offer Skydio’s world-leading autonomous drones to law enforcement and emergency responders via Axon’s unmanned aircraft program, Axon Air.
It is an honor to be invited to build upon the great work of the FAA, local municipal governments, and a host of other leading companies in the drone industry, to support pilot programs that can help evolve the regulatory environment for all unmanned aviation.
In this blog, we expand on the ways that first responders are realizing the value of Skydio Autonomy in their live operations. From search and rescue, to evidence gathering, to tactical missions, Skydio pilots are helping save lives, time, and taxpayer dollars.
Every public safety agency can apply to conduct the game-changing Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations that Skydio pioneered in partnership with the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD). This news means that appropriately authorized public safety agencies nationwide can send drones into areas that are too dangerous to send people.
In previous weeks, we’ve shared with you details on our new aircraft and autonomy solutions , and how they will upend a variety of drone use cases. This week, let’s dive deep into one of these use cases — Situational Awareness — to understand how Skydio autonomous drones improve outcomes and make everyone safer.
Skydio X2 is paired with our groundbreaking Skydio Autonomy technology. X2 builds on this proven technology we first released in October 2019 on the Skydio 2, and applies it to a ruggedized, foldable airframe with six 4K navigation cameras for 360° obstacle avoidance and a dual sensor payload that includes 12MP color and 320x256 FLIR® sensors.
Our team partnered with DRONERESPONDERS to help develop the principles, which are designed to advance the responsible and effective deployment of drones. In this post, I will highlight the importance of the principles and explain Skydio’s commitment to supporting policies and standards on the responsible use of drone technology.
We started Skydio in 2014 because we saw the incredible potential of drones to have a positive impact on the world, and thought that full autonomy — the ability to perform complex tasks without a pilot — would be key to realizing that potential.
Our focus is on advancing our mission to make the world more productive, creative, and safe. We are shaped by core values of accountability, transparency, and the protection of privacy and civil liberties.
