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Skydio 2 review: The best self-flying drone is now a great all-rounder
Around a year and a half ago, Skydio blew my mind. The then-unknown company presented the R1 drone to the world, and it was quite special. Typically, follow features and obstacle avoidance aren't very effective, or only work in certain modes (i.e. with compromises). Skydio's R1 put these features front and center, and it did them incredibly well. But there were still caveats. The R1 was prohibitively expensive ($2,499 at launch), large, clunky and limited in what it could do beyond all that following and obstacle avoiding. Enter the Skydio 2, the company's second take on a drone. It's cheaper, smaller and much more versatile. The hope is that it will be the much-needed DJI rival we deserve, and I'm excited about it enough to say right here that it is. But, and yes there are some buts, it still has some edges that need smoothing out. I'll get to those in good time, but for now, let's start with the positives.
Engadget readers can save on a DJI drone and Segway scooters
Over the last week, we've done our best to try and find the most compelling Black Friday deals to try and save you time and money during your holiday shopping. With this post, we're doing something different. We've partnered with Wellbots to offer Engadget readers exclusive discounts on the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone, as well as Segway ES4 and Max electric scooters. To take advantage of these deals, use the checkout codes below. As an added bonus, if you live outside of New York State, there's no sales tax on any of the items.
Watch a 'transforming' drone blast out of a cannon
Researchers launched a drone from a pneumatic baseball pitching machine strapped to a truck traveling 50 miles per hour. They hope this ballistic launch method might lead to drones that are better suited for emergency response and space exploration missions.
DJI Mavic Mini review: A tiny drone with big ambitions
What a difference four years make in the world of drones. If you spot someone with an iPhone 6s today, you'd barely flinch. But if you see someone rocking a Phantom 3, it feels quaint thanks to the major advances in size, weight and power. Enter the Mavic Mini ($399), the company's most diminutive drone to date that boasts up to 30 minutes of flight time. It makes the Mavic Air look chubby, the Mavic 2 Pro look positively chunky and the Phantoms might as well be a different species (yes, technically they are).
CVS starts delivering prescriptions to homes via UPS drones
It didn't take long for UPS and CVS to start delivering prescriptions by drone. The two have confirmed that they completed their first paid home deliveries of prescriptions, hauling medicine to two homes (one of which was a retirement community) in Cary, North Carolina on November 1st. The drones flew autonomously and lowered the packages to the ground with a cable and winch, although there was a human operator ready to take control.
DJI's palm-sized Mavic Mini can fly for up to 30 minutes
DJI's latest drone is its lightest and smallest model ever. The foldable Mavic Mini weighs in at just 249 grams, and comes with a bunch of features designed to make drone flying and aerial photography fun and accessible to everyone, without skimping on quality. And it's so small that you needn't bother getting FAA registration for it, either.
Volocopter's massive utility drone can carry up to 440 pounds
While Volocopter's been busy working on its air taxis, it's also preparing to enter the utility drone market using a similar design. Much like the company's experimental 2X and upcoming VoloCity, the aptly-named VoloDrone announced today is yet another 18-rotor electric aircraft, which can be remote-controlled or set to a pre-planned route in autonomous mode. But instead of carrying passengers, the VoloDrone is designed to fit various types of cargo and equipment under its belly -- be it a box, an agricultural sprayer, a sling or disaster relief tools.
Uber Eats' delivery drone is a VTOL speedster
An unmanned aerial system capable of vertical take-off and landing might transport your Uber Eats orders in the future. The ride-hailing company, which has been expanding its repertoire recently, has unveiled a new design for its food delivery drone at the Forbes 30 under 30 Summit. Uber's drone design has rotating wings with six rotors "for increased speed and efficiency" and can carry meals for up to two people. Its battery can only last for around eight minutes, including loading and unloading, and it only has a range of 12 miles for a roundtrip delivery -- but that's OK, because Uber expects to use it for just a part of the process.
DJI’s Mavic Mini is so small it doesn’t require FAA registration
DJI's new drone, the Mavic Mini, is a palm-sized device that's so light it doesn't require FAA registration. DJI hasn't officially announced Mavic Mini, but it hasn't done a great job of keeping it a secret, either. Today, a listing on the online retailer Newegg's Canadian site confirmed rumors about the tiny drone and leaked photos.
Lexus’s first autonomous EV has drones and ‘artificial muscle technology’
Lexus is finally ready to unveil its first electric vehicle prototype. At the Tokyo Motor Show today, it pulled back the curtain on its LF-30 Electric Concept, its vision for the next generation of EVs.
UPS and CVS plan to deliver prescriptions via drone
UPS isn't going to let Wing's team-ups with FedEx and Walgreens go unanswered. The company has reached an agreement with CVS Pharmacy to create a "variety" of drone delivery uses, including delivering prescriptions and other goods to homes. Neither company provided a timeline for when you might see these drones in action, although UPS recently became the first company with FAA approval to operate a drone airline.
Los Angeles Fire Department wants to double its drone fleet
It's not just law enforcement finding success with drones. The Los Angeles Fire Department's Battalion Chief Richard Field told TechCrunch that he intended to double the drone fleet just five months after a partnership with DJI began. On top of the existing 11 drones, the new ones would provide help to "specialized resources," such as crews who deal with hazardous materials, urban search and rescue and swift water rescues. Existing units provide clearer viewpoints on blazes and help create maps for wildfires.
Sonar drone helps find a WWII Japanese aircraft carrier
The late Paul Allen's underwater robotics are still achieving firsts in discovering long-lost warships. Vulcan's research vessel Petrel and its two robotic vehicles have discovered the Kaga, a Japanese aircraft carrier sunk during WWII's pivotal Battle of Midway. It's the first time anyone has found a Japanese carrier, Vulcan said, and also the most extensive search the Petrel team has conducted. The team spent several weeks combing an entire battlefield, covering an area of more than 500 square nautical miles -- it found the Kaga more than 17,700 feet underwater.
Alphabet’s Wing starts drone deliveries to US homes
Alphabet's Wing has started making deliveries by drone to homes in the US for the first time. During a pilot program in Christiansburg, Virginia, drones will drop off packages from FedEx, Walgreens and local retailer Sugar Magnolia, which include over-the-counter medication, snacks and gifts. Alphabet says it's the first commercial drone delivery service to homes in the country.
Skydio's station lets self-flying drones work around the clock
Skydio wants to make its self-flying drone useful to companies who want drones in the air at all times. It just revealed a Skydio 2 Dock system that lets the drone charge itself and, ideally, run with virtually no human intervention. The robotic flyer uses inertial and visual navigation to touch down on a charging pad that extends from a box that both feeds power (from a wall outlet or vehicle) and transfers data through Ethernet or WiFi.
Palmer Luckey's company is making drone-ramming drones
Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey and his company Anduril Industries have drawn flak for their pursuit of controversial government and military contracts, and that uproar isn't about to subside any time soon. Anduril has unveiled the Interceptor, a "counter-drone" built solely to take down other robotic fliers by ramming them at high speed. It requires human operators' permission for takedowns, but can be cued through AI and automatically acquire targets using computer vision. The company is hoping this will protect military units and key infrastructure against hostile drones, whether they're improvised bombers or purpose-built recon vehicles.
Skydio’s next self-flying drone is ready to take on DJI
When Skydio revealed the fully autonomous R1 drone, it was truly impressive. This thing could follow you like no other drone before, or since. You didn't need to wear anything (like AirDog), and its visual tracking system was smart enough to avoid almost any obstacle in its way, even at speed. But the R1 was kinda big (like a large pizza box) and at $2,500, prohibitively expensive for the majority. You also couldn't really control it yourself in a meaningful way, so it wasn't as versatile as DJI's cheaper Mavic 2 Pro.
UPS delivery drones are on the way after FAA certification
UPS might soon be dropping off packages across the US by drone. The Federal Aviation Administration granted the UPS Flight Forward subsidiary air carrier and operator certification, allowing it to use drones for commercial deliveries.
Watch the first flight of a drone with a microturbine engine
A company called UAV Turbines has successfully completed the inaugural flight of its Monarch 5 engine, which is essentially a tiny version of the engines you see on planes. The company says this marks "the first time a small-to-medium-sized drone has been powered by a turbine engine." UAV Turbines believes its technology can provide the military and commercial customers with a "reliable, efficient, safe, heavy-fuel propulsion system."
Alphabet’s Wing drones will soon deliver FedEx and Walgreens packages
This fall, Alphabet's drone delivery arm Wing will begin delivering goods for FedEx Express, Walgreens and a small retailer. The pilot program will be based in Christiansburg, Virginia, and it's meant to prove that Wing's drones are ready to deliver health care products, fill last-mile delivery needs and give local retailers a boost.
