Enterprise User Guide

Skydio 2 TM

Effective date: December 16, 2020

Table of Contents
Your Enterprise Solution 2
What’s included in your Skydio 2 Kit? 3
What’s included with Skydio Autonomy Enterprise Foundation 4
TM

Getting Started 5
Connecting Skydio 2 6
Updating Skydio 2 7
Before You Fly 8
Where to Fly 9
Your First Flight 10
The Flight Screen 11
Home Points 21
Flying Skydio 2 22
Digital Zoom and Superzoom 31
Offline Maps and Waypoint Mission Planning 34
Return Procedures 35
Landing 39
Hand Launching and Landing 41
Viewing and Saving Media 44
Emergency Procedures 45
Flying Safely 47
Recovering a Lost Drone 48
Flying with the Skydio 2 app 48
Flying with Beacon 49
Specifications 50
Compliance Information 53

Your Enterprise Solution.

We’re excited for you to get started with your Skydio 2. Before you fly, please check out
all of the guidance and suggestions at https://skydio.com/safety, where you’ll find best
practices, links to additional content, and regulatory information to enhance safety as
well as your overall experience with Skydio 2.

Your enterprise solution includes:

• Skydio 2 kit
• Skydio Autonomy Enterprise Foundation (AEF) software add-on

2
What’s included in your Skydio 2 Kit?

Skydio 2 Starter Kit

• Skydio 2
• Skydio 2 Battery
• Charging power adapter
• USB-C to USB-C charging and data cable
• Microfiber cloth
• Skydio 2 Quick Start Guide.
• Shoulder Strap
• Extra set of propellers (2 props total)
• Gimbal Clip

Skydio 2 Pro Kit

If you purchased the optional Pro Kit, you will receive everything in the Starter Kit, plus:

• 3 extra Skydio 2 Batteries

• Skydio 2 Dual Charger
• SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSD Card
• Skydio 2 Controller
• Tablet Adapter for Controller
• Skydio 2 Beacon
• Skydio 2 Pro Case
• PolarPro Cinema Series ND Filters
• 2 extra sets of propellers (4 extra props total)
• Skydio Premier Support

For more information about our Skydio 2 Pro Kit and our Skydio 2 Upgrade Kits, visit
skydio.com.

Skydio 2 Controller
This guide will focus primarily on flying your Skydio 2 using only a mobile device, however
there will be references to flying with the Skydio 2 Controller. For more information about
the Skydio 2 Controller, please refer to our full Skydio Controller User Guide.

3
What’s included with your Skydio AutonomyTM
Enterprise Foundation (AEF) software add-on?
The Skydio AEF software add-on provides a start-to-finish enterprise experience,
starting with the user interface—the Skydio Enterprise app. The main features are listed in
the table below.

FEATURE DESCRIPTION MAIN USE CASES KEY BENEFITS

Allows closer flight for
Situational
Close Proximity The drone can fly closer to ob- indoor navigation e.g.
awareness
Obstacle stacles (0.45m - 0.55m obsta- through large doorways,
Avoidance cle bubble) and up-close inspection
Inspection
of detailed assets
Tunes the system for ultra-pre-
Situational Allows for up-close pho-
cise positioning of the drone
awareness tography and effortless
Precision Mode based on joystick inputs. (AEF
capture of critical com-
feature for S2. Included with
Inspection ponents
Autonomy Core for X2)

Situational Provides robust and

Ability to RTH purely using vi-
Visual Return-to- awareness safe RTH in high-RF or
sual wayfinding when flying in
Home GPS-denied environments
GPS denied environments
Inspection (e.g., below bridges)

Download maps ahead of Situational Use map-based func-

time to use map-based fea- awareness tionality even for jobs
Offline Maps
tures without a cellular LTE in remote, off-the-grid
connection Inspection areas

Blends the six 4K navigation

See farther, and in all
cameras to create an omnidi-
Situational directions without moving
Superzoom rectional view. Allows the user
awareness the drone - reduces pilot
to zoom digitally with algorith-
cognitive load
mic image stabilization

Drone will navigate itself while Enables surveillance and

Point-of-Interest Situational
revolving around a user-de- overwatch of any struc-
Orbit awareness
fined point on a map ture or locale

Ability to visually track a car Enables covert surveil-

Situational
Track-in-place or person from a fixed position lance from farther stand-
awareness
from farther away off distances

Allows for overhung in-

Gimbal can look straight up
Vertical View Inspection spections such as ceilings,
overhead of the drone
bridges, and canopies

4
Getting Started
Step 1
Insert a micro SD card into the Skydio 2 SD
card slot to capture your footage. The Skydio
2 requires a UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) or faster
microSD card to record 4k video.
Skydio 2 may need to format your SD card, so
please ensure any data is safely copied off the
card before use. Note that Skydio 2 cannot fly
without a properly formatted microSD card.

Step 2
Attach the Skydio 2 battery to your Skydio 2
and charge the battery using the included
USB-C cable and Power Adaptor. Note that
Skydio batteries are held in place magnetically
and may be removed by pulling on them.
Please review our battery instructions and care
prior to flight at https://support.skydio.com/
hc/en-us/articles/360039973373-Skydio-
2-battery-guidelines-troubleshooting-and-
safety.

Step 3
The LEDs on the Skydio 2 battery will indicate
the current state of charge. You may also
tap the button on the front of the battery to
display the current state of charge. The LEDs
will pulse while the battery is charging. While
Charging
charging, the Skydio 2 should be in an open
area as it is normal for the chassis to become
warm to the touch. When fully charged the
LEDs on the battery will remain solid for one
minute then turn off.

Fully Charged

5
Connecting to Skydio 2
Step 1
While your battery is charging, download and
install the Skydio Enterprise app on your mobile
device. The Skydio Enterprise app is available
on the App Store® and Google Play™.

Skydio Enterprise app is compatible with iOS 12.0 (or later) or

Android 7.0 (or later).

Step 2
Once your battery is fully charged, launch the Skydio Enterprise app and power on
your Skydio 2 by pressing and holding the battery button for 3 seconds. You will
be asked to enable location and microphone services (and local networking on
iOS) on your phone which are required for the Skydio 2 to function normally, and
to register your Skydio 2 with your business email address (you only have to do this
the first time you fly).

Note: When registering in the app, you will need to use the business
email account associated with your Autonomy Enterprise license. You
will provide this to Skydio’s Customer Success team during onboarding.
If there is no Skydio Autonomy Enterprise license associated with your
email, you will not be able to use the Skydio Enterprise app.

6
 When you register in the app, you will receive an email with a login code. Enter in
the code to continue.

Note: Each code is unique to that registration. If at some point you log
out or remove and reinstall the app, you will need to register again and
Skydio will send a new, unique code.

Step 3
Skydio 2 uses WiFi to communicate with your
phone and other Skydio accessories. When
prompted, enter your Skydio 2’s WiFi name
and password into the Skydio app. You may
find your drone’s WiFi name and password on
the sticker attached to the drone or inside the
Skydio 2’s battery tray. Be sure to remove the
sticker marked “Remove before flight” before
flying Skydio 2.

Updating Skydio 2
Always make sure you are flying with the latest Skydio 2 software. If there is an
update available for Skydio 2, the Skydio Enterprise app will guide you through the
required steps. If an update is available, it’s best to download the Skydio 2 update
when you have access to an internet-enabled WiFi network.

7
Before You Fly
Before you begin your first flight with your Skydio 2, please read and follow all of
the safety tips and guidelines at https://skydio.com/safety. In summary, here are
a few general guidelines to follow before each flight:

• Because Skydio 2 navigates visually, it’s essential to keep all of its cameras
clean. Use the included cleaning cloth (or any clean microfiber cloth) to ensure
that all cameras are dust and smudge-free before every flight.

• Battery: Skydio 2 uses magnets to retain the battery which may attract
metallic debris. Prior to installing any battery, visually inspect the magnets on
the bottom of the Skydio 2 and the top of the battery, including connectors,
to make sure the magnets are clean and free of debris so the battery fits
securely in place. Verify the battery is fully seated in the aircraft prior to
takeoff. DO NOT use if damage has occurred to magnets or battery.

• If using a mobile device running the Skydio Enterprise app, ensure any Battery
Saver or Low Power modes are disabled. These modes may interfere with
Skydio 2’s ability to communicate with the device and negatively impact your
flight experience.

• Remove the gimbal retaining clip from the front-facing camera. Before takeoff,
you may notice that the gimbal is slightly askew—this is normal behavior, and
once in the air the gimbal will align itself.

• Ensure all propellers are firmly attached and free of nicks, cracks, or other
visible damage. Never fly with damaged propellers.

• When flying with the Skydio Enterprise app, audio will be automatically
recorded from the device and added to the recorded video after the flight
ends. If Skydio 2 is flown with only the Beacon accessory and no connected
phone, no audio will be recorded.

• Skydio 2 is NOT A TOY and should not be used or handled by a person under
the age of 18. If you are under 18, please use the drone with adult supervision.

8
Where To Fly
• You are responsible for your Skydio 2 at all times. Always follow FAA guidelines
for UAS piloting. Check resources like knowbeforeyoufly.org or apps like B4UFLY
for more info.

• DO NOT fly directly over people or crowds.

• Keep Skydio 2 within visual line of sight.

• Skydio 2 can only fly in normal daytime conditions. Since it navigates visually,
it won’t work at night or in other low-light situations.

• Skydio 2 is not weatherproof and requires good visibility. Do not fly in any
precipitation, including rain, fog, or snow.

• Skydio 2 should not be flown when winds or gusts are above 25 mph/40kmh.

• Do not fly in temperatures below 23° F (-5° C) or above 104° F (40° C).

9
Your First Flight
For your first flight, we recommend finding a clear, open space away from others
on level ground with at least 20 feet of clearance in every direction (including
above). Make sure nothing is obstructing the propellers at your launch location.
Although flying Skydio 2 is easy and intuitive, it’s a good idea to give yourself and
others a little space when flying for the first time. Always be alert and aware of
your surroundings during use.

Set your Skydio 2 down on clear, flat ground at least 10 feet away with the front
camera facing toward you. You may also use the top of Skydio 2’s case as a
convenient launch and landing pad.

Launching Skydio 2 is as simple as holding the LAUNCH button.

Once Skydio 2 is in the air, it will hover in place until you initiate a skill or use the
app (or Skydio Controller) to start flying.

Note: Skydio 2 requires a stable GPS connection to fly greater than

10m/33ft. above its point of takeoff or the currently tracked subject. This
may not be possible when flying in GPS denied environments such as
indoors, heavy urban areas, and deep canyons; or when flying near large
metal structures such as radio towers and bridges. If you are having any
difficulty getting your Skydio 2 to fly above 10m/33ft., you may need to
fly a few meters in a lateral motion (forward, backward, left, or right) to
acquire a GPS lock. This is true regardless of which method you’re using
to fly (app/phone-only, with Beacon, or with Controller).

To learn more about using the Skydio 2, visit https://skydio.com/support for the
latest articles and tutorial videos.

10
The Flight Screen

Note: Flight Controls will not be displayed on-screen when flying with the Skydio
Controller

Device Settings Menu

Gives you access to in-flight settings for the Skydio 2 as well as control settings
for the phone and Controller (when connected).

11
Drone Settings

• Height Floor
• Determines if Skydio 2 will always attempt to stay at least 8 ft/2.4 meters
above the ground when flying autonomously. When enabled, the Height
Floor will be observed when Skydio 2 is performing a waypoint mission,
flying to a user-specified point on the map (i.e., Fly Here Now), or Returning
to Home. It will not affect manual flight. This setting is enabled by default in
the Skydio Enterprise app.

Note: Height Floor settings are different when flying with our Skydio 2
consumer app. If you plan to fly with the Skydio 2 consumer app, please refer
to our consumer Skydio 2 user guide.

• Obstacle Margin
• Allows you to switch between Full and Reduced obstacle avoidance
settings. When obstacle margin is set to Full (default), Skydio 2 will stay
39inches/1 meter away from obstacles with a top speed of 36 mph. When
obstacle margin is Reduced, Skydio 2 will stay 16inches/0.4 meters away
from obstacles with a top speed of 9 mph. Distance from obstacles is
measured from the center of the drone.

Note: When obstacle margin is Reduced, the drone’s top speed of 9 mph/14
kmh will be observed for autonomous actions such as Return to Home and
flight between waypoints. This top speed will override any speed settings you
have set in the app.

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• Flight Style
• Determines the way Skydio 2 moves
in flight. Precision tunes the Skydio 2
system for ultra-precise control and
positioning, while Cinematic results in
smoother movement that’s optimized
for more stabilized video. Precision flight
style will be selected by default.

• Return Behavior
• Allows you to customize the way Skydio 2 behaves after initiating a return.

Drone Looks - Skydio 2 will either

look toward or away from the return
destination while returning.

Return Type (AEF Only) - Unique to the

Autonomy Enterprise Foundation, this
setting tells the drone to return using
GPS or the drone’s vision system. Set
your return type to Vision when you fly
in GPS-denied environments. For more
information about Skydio 2’s return
behavior, see the Return Procedures
section.

Wait Before Return - Set how long

Skydio 2 should wait after you initiate a
return before it starts flying back.

Return Height - Set the height to which

Skydio 2 should ascend before returning.
By default the return height is set to 32
ft/9.7m, meaning Skydio 2 will ascend to
that height before returning.

Height Behavior - When set to Absolute,

the drone will ascend to the specified
Return Height (above the launch point) before returning. When set to Relative,
Skydio 2 will ascend by the specified Return Height above the current position
before returning. See the Return Procedures section for more information.

Return Speed - Set the speed at which Skydio 2 should fly when returning.

Reference the Return Procedures section for more information.

13
 Phone Settings

• Flight Telemetry
• Toggles the display of vehicle telemetry data. When enabled, Skydio 2’s
current speed, height above take off, range from launch point and camera
angle (gimbal pitch) is displayed while in flight.

• App Controls
• Slide (default) - Single stick with pitch and roll with yaw on separate
buttons
• Steering - Single stick with pitch and yaw with roll on separate buttons
• Dual Sticks - Traditional Mode 2 dual-stick controls

• Dual Sticks Mode

• Sets the control style for the Dual Sticks app control setting. Allows you to
choose between Mode 1, Mode 2 (default), and Mode 3 style controls.

Controller Settings (when Controller accessory is connected)

• Gimbal Sensitivity
• Controls how quickly camera gimbal pitches up and down

• Flight Sensitivity
• Allows you to switch between default and custom sensitivity settings for
the roll, pitch, yaw and throttle inputs.
• The default settings are fixed and cannot be changed.
• You may change the custom settings however you wish.

• Flight Mode
• You may switch between Mode 1, Mode 2 (default), and Mode 3 style flight
controls.

Note: All Controller settings are saved on your Skydio 2 and are only available
when your Controller is connected to your drone.

Signal Strength Indicator

Displays the current strength of the user’s radio link to the Skydio 2 while in flight.
As the signal strength decreases, users may experience a lower quality video
feed or a delay in their controls. For best signal quality, always maintain a direct
line of sight between the phone or controller and the Skydio 2 and avoid flying in
areas with electromagnetic interference.

14
Battery Indicator
Displays the current battery level of the Skydio 2 drone. Skydio 2’s battery level is
based on flight time remaining, and takes into account the drone’s height above
ground level. As the drone’s altitude increases, the battery indicator level will
decrease to ensure you have enough time to return and land safely.

Note: As ground elevation increases or decreases, Skydio 2 takes into

account this new ground level and adjusts the battery indicator level
accordingly.

When Skydio 2 reaches low battery, it will notify you in time to return home.
Reference the Low Battery Procedure section under Emergency Procedures on
page 45 for more information.

Camera Settings
Provides access to the camera settings and allows you to change between video
and photo recording mode. Skydio 2 can capture photos or video but not both
at the same time. You may change your camera settings at any time before or
during flight. Please note that changing the camera settings before launch may
cause Skydio 2 to return to the preflight screen and re-calibrate its vision system.
Some video capture settings (such as video resolution and frame rate) cannot
be changed while the drone is actively zooming. See the Digital Zoom and
Superzoom section on page 31 for more information.

Video Capture Settings

• Resolution
• Framerate
• HDR On/Off*
• Auto / Manual Recording
• Video Codec**
• White Balance
• Shutter Speed
• ISO
• Exposure

15
 Video Capture Settings

• Photo Interval***
• Off / 1s or 2s**** / 5s / 10s
• HDR On/Off
• JPG / JPG+DNG*****
• White Balance
• Shutter Speed
• Exposure

* HDR is not supported in all video resolutions and framerates.

** Skydio 2 can record video in either AVC (H.264) or HEVC (H.265). Different mobile devices and personal
computers have different compatibilities with these encoding standards. Be sure to choose the encoding
standard that is best suited to your desired workflow.

*** When Photo Interval is enabled Skydio 2 will continuously capture photos at the specified time interval
until the setting is disabled or the flight ends.

**** The fastest interval photo setting when capturing in raw DNG is two seconds. Users may capture a
photo every one second when capturing in JPG mode.

***** DNG photos are not displayed in the media tab of the Skydio Enterprise app and may be retrieved
directly from the microSD card.

Note: Digital 3x zoom is not supported in all video resolutions and

framerates. Reference the Digital Zoom and Superzoom section on
page 31 for more information on compatibility.

16
Stop/Land Button
While the Skydio 2 is in manual control mode the LAND button is available, you
may press and hold the LAND button for 3 seconds to command the drone to
land at its current location.

Land button during manual flight

While the Skydio 2 is flying autonomously, such as orbiting or flying to a waypoint,

you may tap the red stop button to cancel the current action and place the
drone into manual control mode.

Stop button during autonomous flight

Subject Indicator
The blue & white ‘+’ or car icon indicates a person or vehicle the Skydio 2 is
capable of tracking. Tapping the indicator will command the Skydio 2 to enter
autonomous flight mode with the selected object as the tracking subject.

Subject available for tracking Subject being actively tracked

17
 Tips for Best Tracking Performance
• The Skydio 2 can track a single person or vehicle at a time. Skydio 2 does
not track pets or other animals.
• The subject you wish to track must be visible in the camera view in order to
become available for tracking.
• If the indicator is not appearing for the subject you wish to track, try
moving the Skydio 2 closer and ensure they are framed in the center of the
camera view.

Flight Controls
The on-screen flight controls are the primary method for controlling Skydio
2 during both autonomous and manual flight. Manual flight controls are the
same in all skills and may be customized in the “Phone” tab of the device menu.
Autonomous controls are unique for each skill.

See the Flying Skydio 2, Manual

section on page 23 of this guide for
more details.

Skills Menu
The skills menu (located in the lower-right corner of the flight screen) gives access
to Skydio 2’s various flight skills. Each skill has a different function. See the Skills
section of this guide on page 22 for more details.

Skill Settings
Each skill may have its own custom settings that only affect that skill while it is
selected. Tap the skill settings button to customize each skill’s behavior to suit
your needs. You can read about specific settings available for each skill in the
Skydio Enterprise Skills section below, under Flying Skydio 2 on page 22.
18
Recording Indicator

Recording Video: Auto

Recording Video: Manual

Recording Paused: Manual

Photo Button

Interval Photos

Return to Home
Tapping the Return to Home button gives you the ability to have Skydio 2
automatically return to either the launch location or your current location
(phone).

If a Home Point has been set for this flight,

the “Launch Point” option will be replaced
with “Home Point”.

19
Maps
Tap the map icon to enter the map view. The location of your phone, Skydio 2,
and Skydio 2’s launch location are all indicated on the map. To exit the map view,
tap the map icon again.

Drone Location

User Location

Beacon Location

Home Point

Launch Point

Fly to Waypoint
You may fly to a specific GPS location by long-pressing on the map and selecting
“Fly Here Now” from the menu. Skydio 2 will warn you if the selected destination
is far away or outside the vehicle’s expected battery range. Keep Skydio 2 within
visual line of sight.

20
Home Points
You may create a Home Point (or move the existing Home Point) by long-pressing
on the map and selecting “Set Home Point” from the menu. Home points are
optional and must be set for each flight, they are not saved between flights.

Note: Home Points are created using GPS coordinates. Skydio 2 must
have a GPS signal at some point during the flight to create a Home
Point.

If a Home Point is present during a flight, Skydio 2 will automatically return to that
location in the event of a loss of communication (unless otherwise specified in the
waypoint settings). Tapping on a Home Point on the map gives you the option to
fly the drone to that location immediately or remove it from the map.

Note: The better and more sustained the GPS signal, the more accurate
Skydio 2’s flight will be when returning to that Home Point. If Skydio 2
loses GPS or the GPS signal becomes weak, the drone will do its best to
estimate and return to the Home Point position.

21
Flying Skydio 2
With the Skydio Enterprise app, you have a range of control over your AEF features via a
unique set of flight skills. Simply choose your skill and put your drone to the task—Skydio 2
knows what to film and will intelligently fly itself to get the best shot.

Anytime you want to change your flight technique, just select a different skill in the app.
With most skills, you can adjust the height and range the Skydio 2 will film from, as well as
other skill-specific controls and settings. The onscreen controls in the Skydio Enterprise
app work in harmony with each skill to give you intuitive control over your drone’s point-of-
view.

Skills

Use this skill any time you want the traditional flying
experience using on-screen controls or the Skydio
Controller.
Manual
This powerful skill allows you to mark two points in the sky
and have Skydio 2 fly along a fixed path between them. You
can choose to track a subject while Skydio 2 is on this fixed
Cable path. Also available in the Skydio 2 consumer app.

Create and execute multi-waypoint GPS missions.

Waypoints

Skydio 2 will hover in a fixed position, as if affixed to a virtual

tripod, rotating and tilting the camera to look at the subject
as they move.
Track

Skydio 2 will rotate around a user-selected point-of-interest

in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, keeping
the point in the center of the frame.
Orbit Point

22
Manual
By default you will start in the Manual flight skill. The Manual flight skill will give
you a traditional flying experience using on-screen joystick controls or the Skydio
2 Controller.

Note: Flight Controls will not be displayed on-screen when

flying with the Skydio Controller

Obstacle avoidance is always active when flying manually. Obstacle avoidance

allows Skydio 2 to route itself around obstacles, modifying any commands that
could potentially cause a collision.

On-Screen Controls
By default, on-screen manual controls
will be set to Slide, however you may
customize these controls by opening the
Device Settings menu and selecting the
‘Phone’ tab

Slide Controls (Default)

23
 Touch Controls
In addition to the on-screen joystick and button controls, you can use touch
gestures to do things like zoom, adjust gimbal pitch, and fly to a visible location:
• Drag vertically on-screen to increase or decrease gimbal pitch
• Drag horizontally on-screen to adjust yaw
• Pinch and drag your fingers away from each other to digitally zoom in up
to 3x
• Pinch and drag your fingers toward each other to zoom out back to 1x,
then out to Superzoom
• Double-tap anywhere on the flight screen to fly directly towards that spot.

Skydio 2 Controller Controls

If you are flying with the Skydio 2 Controller, touch controls will still be available to
you, however the on-screen joystick and button controls will disappear. Instead
you will use the Controller joysticks and buttons to manually pilot the drone.

For more information about flying with the Skydio 2 Controller, please reference
our full Skydio Controller User Guide.

Cable
The Cable skill allows you to mark two points and camera angles in three
dimensional space and have Skydio 2 fly along a fixed path between them.

To set up your path:

1. Select Cable from the skills menu.
2. Manually fly the drone to the location where you’d like to set the first
endpoint of your cable, or the A Position. Tap Set A.
3. Next, fly to set the second endpoint, or B Position. Tap Set B.
4. If you need to edit either point, simply tap Edit and adjust your desired
endpoint.
5. Finally, set the speed at which you’d like Skydio 2 to move between points
A and B.

24
 Next, enter the Cable Skill settings menu
to set how you’d like Skydio 2 to move
between each point. You can manually
trigger the drone’s flight from point A
to point B (and back again), or you can
choose to have Skydio 2 loop continuously
between these two points.

A third option is to tether the drone to a subject. If you choose this option, Skydio
2 will lock onto a subject and as the subject moves, Skydio 2 will track it visually
while remaining on the fixed cable track.

Waypoints
The Waypoints skill allows you to design and execute multi-waypoint GPS
missions. Skydio 2 uses AI-enabled path planning algorithms to avoid obstacles.

To set up a mission, select Waypoints from the skills menu, then tap on the map
view. Long press on the map and select Add Waypoint to set the first waypoint.

25
The drone’s current pose settings will automatically be applied to the first
waypoint. To customize these settings, tap on the newly created waypoint and
set the drone’s altitude, heading and gimbal angle for that waypoint as desired.

Long press on the map again to set your second waypoint. Your drone’s pose
settings will match those of the previous waypoint, however you can always tap
on the waypoint to adjust the settings as needed.

Continue adding waypoints until your mission path is complete. Missions can
support up to 256 waypoints.

If you need to delete a waypoint, long press on that

point, then select Delete. You can also tap the trash
icon to clear all waypoints.

Once you’ve created your waypoint mission, enter the Waypoint Skill settings
menu to further customize your Skydio 2’s behavior.

26
• Speed - Set the speed at which Skydio 2 will move between waypoints.
• Lost Comms - Tell Skydio 2 what to do if it loses communication during a
mission. By default the drone will Return to Home if it loses communication,
however you can set it to Continue the mission instead. If Skydio 2 does not
have communication upon completion of the mission, it will then Return to
Home once the mission is complete.
• Photo at Waypoint - You can also tell your drone to take a photo at each
waypoint.

Note: If the “Photo at Waypoint” setting is toggled on, and the drone is
in Video mode, Skydio 2 will automatically switch to Photo mode while a
waypoint mission is active. The drone will switch back into Video mode
upon pausing a mission, completing a mission, or exiting the Waypoints
skill.

If you manually switch to Video mode while a mission is active the

drone will automatically switch back to Photo mode at each waypoint,
capture the image, then switch back to Video mode. This will result in a
separate video file for each flight segment between waypoints.

When you’re ready to begin your mission, tap the Play button to start. Skydio 2
will autonomously move through each waypoint in the mission, and then once
complete it will hover in place.

Once you’ve created your mission, it is stored on your phone and will persist
across flights and reboots. However, only one waypoint mission may be defined
at a time – you cannot save and load between multiple missions.

Note: Waypoint missions are stored on your phone, however the skill
settings for that mission (speed between waypoints, lost comms
behavior and photo at waypoint) are stored on the vehicle. If you run the
same mission with different vehicles, make sure to set your Waypoint skill
settings for each drone.

Waypoint missions can be created and edited offline without being connected
to a drone. See the Offline Maps and Waypoint Missions section on page 34 for
more information.

27
Track In Place
To visually track a subject, first select the Track skill in the app. Identify a subject
of interest, then fly the drone within 50 ft/15 m (person) or 70 ft/20 m (vehicle) in
order for Skydio 2 to detect it.

Tap on the or icon to lock onto the subject. The drone will then hover in
place, rotating and tilting the camera to look at the subject as they move.

While the drone is tracking the subject, you can also use the on-screen controls
or Controller joysticks to control the pitch, roll, and altitude of the vehicle. The
drone will adjust yaw and gimbal pitch automatically according to the subject’s
position.

Note: While in the Track skill, Skydio 2’s lateral movement speed will be
limited to 4 mph (6.4 kph)

While the Track still is actively tracking a subject, Skydio 2 will hover in place,
staying visually locked onto that subject up to 400 ft/120 m away if that subject
is a person, and 500 ft/150 m away if a vehicle. As the subject moves or the pilot
flies the drone, tracking will continue until the subject is too far away or blocked
by an obstruction.

28
Orbit Point
To start orbiting a point of interest, select Orbit Point from the skills menu, then
tap on the map view.

Fly your Skydio 2 to where the edge of your orbit will be, then long press on the
map and select Set Focus Point.

Note: The range of the orbit is automatically set to the

drone’s current distance from the focus point.

Next, use the on-screen slider to set the direction and speed for the orbit. The
drone will then start moving in that direction.

Once moving, there are a few ways you can adjust your orbit:
• As with other skills, you can use touch gestures or the Controller paddle to
adjust gimbal pitch and zoom.
• To change speed and direction, use the on-screen slider or the Controller
joystick that controls the drone’s roll. When using the slider, Skydio 2 will
continue moving after lifting your finger from the screen.

29
 When using the joystick, the drone will move only while joystick inputs are
active. Once you take your hand off the joystick the drone will stop moving
and the on-screen slider will snap back to center.
• To modify your orbit range, you have two options:
• Manually pilot the drone while in orbit. The orbit range will
dynamically adjust to match the drone’s pitch, roll and altitude.
• Pause the orbit, manually pilot the drone to a new position, then
resume. Range or altitude will adjust to the drone’s new distance
from the Focus Point.
• To change your Focus Point, tap and hold on the map and select Move
Focus Point. This replaces the current focus point and sets the new orbit
radius to match the drone’s current location.

Pausing or Stopping Autonomous Flight

To pause a skill or stop tracking a subject, tap the STOP button at the top of the
screen. You will then have full manual control over your Skydio 2, as if you were in
the Manual flight skill.

Note that the STOP button will change to a Land button after the Skydio 2
pauses a skill or stops tracking a subject:

30
Digital Zoom and Superzoom

3x Digital Zoom
When flying your Skydio 2, you have the ability to digitally zoom the live video
feed up to 3x (MAX).

To zoom in digitally, touch two fingers on the touch screen and move them apart.
If flying with the Skydio 2 Controller, push the right paddle down to zoom in.

Tap on the zoom indicator at the top of the screen to quickly snap back to 1x
zoom (MIN).

Superzoom
You can also zoom out to an equirectangular view of your surroundings. Skydio
2 uses its six, 4k navigation cameras to create this omnidirectional view in real-
time, allowing you to maximize your in-flight situational awareness.

To zoom out to this view, touch two fingers on the touch screen and move them
together. If flying with the Skydio 2 Controller, pull the right paddle up to zoom
out. If Skydio 2’s feed is already zoomed in, you will first need to zoom out to 1x
before you can zoom out again to Superzoom.

31
 Tip: When flying with the Skydio 2 Controller, pull the right paddle
towards you twice in quick succession to enter Superzoom from any
zoom level.

Tap on the zoom indicator at the top of the screen to quickly snap back to 1x
zoom (MIN).

Zoom Recording Behavior and Compatibility

Recorded Footage
Depending on your recording mode and zoom setting in flight, your recorded
footage may or may not be zoomed in:

• If the video is zoomed in while recording, the resulting video file will also be
zoomed in
• If photos are taken while zoomed in, the resulting photos will remain at 1x
zoom (they will not be zoomed in)
• If video is being recorded or photos are taken while zoomed out to
Superzoom, the resulting photos and video will remain at 1x zoom

Video Capture Settings

While actively zooming in, the following video capture settings will be locked:
• Resolution
• Framerate
• HDR On/Off
• Auto/Manual Recording
• Video Codec

To change your video capture settings, reset the zoom level back to 1x. Once
you’re happy with the settings, and they are compatible with zoom (see below),
you can begin zooming.

Note: When switching from photo mode to video mode, the zoom may
be reset to 1x if the video mode you are switching back into does not
support digital zoom.

32
Compatibility
3x Digital Zoom is not compatible with all video recording modes. To enable
zoom while recording video, switch your video mode to one of the compatible
modes listed below:

Video Mode Zoom Compatible

1080p @ 30fps YES
1080p @ 60fps YES
1080p @ 120fps NO
4k @ 24fps YES
4k @ 30fps YES
4k @ 48fps NO
4k @ 60fps NO

Zooming is currently not compatible with subject tracking. To detect a subject,

the drone must be at the default 1x zoom level.

33
Offline Maps and Waypoint Mission Planning

Downloading Offline Maps

If you are going to be flying in an LTE-denied environment, you can cache a map
region ahead of time to fly completely offline.

Download a new map

1. Launch the Skydio Enterprise app
2. Tap Info and select Offline Maps
3. Select the + icon under Add New Map
4. You will see a satellite view of your current
location. Drag and pinch-to-zoom on the
map until your desired location is centered
on screen.
5. When you’re ready, select Download Map.
This will download a square 3.5 x 3.5 mile
map, centered around the target point.
Note that you will always download a 3.5 x
3.5 mile map, regardless of how far you’ve
zoomed out on the map.

Remove an existimg map

You can save up to 10 maps at a time in the
Skydio Enterprise app. You may need to clear out
maps from time to time to make room for more.
To remove an existing map:
1. Launch the Skydio Enterprise app
2. Tap Info and select Offline Maps
3. Tap Select in the upper-right of the screen
4. Select one or multiple maps, then select
Delete.

34
Plan a Waypoint Mission Offline
Save precious battery life by planning your waypoint mission ahead of time. To
plan a mission offline:
1. Launch the Skydio Enterprise app
2. Tap Info, then select Waypoint Mission
3. Pinch and drag on the map to arrive at the starting location of your
waypoint mission
4. Tap and hold on the map to set your first waypoint.
5. Continue on using the same controls as the Waypoints flight skill.

Return Procedures
When you’re ready to return home, tap the Return to Home button in the app or
on the Skydio 2 Controller:

In the app
Return to Home button gives you the ability to have Skydio 2 automatically return
to either the launch location or your current location (phone). If a Home Point has
been set for this flight, the “Launch Point” option will be replaced with “Home
Point”.

Skydio 2 Controller
Return Button commands Skydio 2 to return to its launch location. If you have set
a home point on the map, pressing the Return Button will command Skydio 2 to
return to the Home Point instead of the launch location.

35
Return Height & Behavior
Any time a return is triggered, either by the pilot or an emergency procedure,
Skydio 2 will first ascend to a specified height before returning. You can
customize this return height in the Drone Settings menu:

If the Height Behavior is set to Absolute, the

drone will ascend to the specified Return
Height (above the launch point) before
returning. For example, if the Return Height is
32 ft and the drone is at 20 ft at the time the
return is commanded, Skydio 2 will ascend 12 ft
before returning.

When set to Relative, Skydio 2 will ascend by

the specified Return Height above the current
position before returning. For example, if the
Return Height is 32 ft and the drone is at 20 ft
at the time the return is commanded, Skydio 2
will ascend 32 ft and then return at a height of
52 ft.

In addition to Return Height and Height Behavior, you can also customize the
following return settings:
• Drone Looks - Skydio 2 will either look toward or away from the return
destination while returning.
• Return Type (AEF Only) - Unique to the Autonomy Enterprise Foundation, this
setting tells the drone to return using GPS or the drone’s vision system. Set your
return type to Vision when you fly in GPS-denied environments.
• Wait Before Return - Set how long Skydio 2 should wait after you initiate a
return before it starts flying back.
• Return Speed - Set the speed at which Skydio 2 should fly when returning.

36
GPS vs Visual Return
Based on the “Return Type” you selected in
the drone settings menu, your Skydio 2 will use
either GPS or its vision navigation system to
return to the launch location.

Visual return is a great option when you’re

planning to fly in GPS-denied environments,
while GPS is best when performing longer-
distance returns with your Skydio 2.

How does Visual Return work?

When the Return Type is set to Vision, and you initiate a return to the Launch
Point, Skydio 2 requires no GPS signal and will use its vision navigation system to
return to that point.

Visual return will ONLY work with the Launch Point. Flying to a set Home Point or
to your Phone will require GPS. Reference the table below to see how Skydio 2
returns based on Return Type.

Return Type = GPS Return Type = VISION

Return to Skydio 2 will use Visual

Skydio 2 will use GPS to
Launch Navigation to return to
return to launch point
Point launch point

Not supported in visual

Return to Skydio 2 will use GPS to navigation. Skydio 2 will
Phone return to phone location use GPS to return to phone
location
Not supported in visual
Return to Skydio 2 will use GPS to navigation. Skydio 2 will
Home Point return to home point use GPS to return to home
point
Not supported in visual
Fly Here Skydio 2 will use GPS to fly navigation. Skydio 2 will
Now to specified location use GPS to fly to specified
location

37
If Skydio 2 does not have a GPS signal, and Return Type is set to Vision, when you
tap the Return to Home button in the app you will see the following options:

Make sure to select Launch Point as your Return Location, since this point has
been saved in Skydio 2’s vision navigation system and does not require GPS to
return. If you select Phone, Skydio 2 will not be able to return reliably since this
location relies on GPS.

38
Landing
When you are ready to end your flight and land your drone, first stop any subject tracking
and manually fly the drone to a safe landing spot that is flat, clear of debris, and not
overhead of any people or animals. Once you’re ready to land, press and hold the “LAND”
button on your phone screen.

Skydio 2 will descend until it is 3m (10 ft) above the surface below it. Once Skydio 2 is less
than 3m from the surface the LEDs on Skydio 2 will turn yellow and all obstacle avoidance
will be disabled for the remainder of the landing. You will be notified of this change on
screen if flying with the Skydio Enterprise app.

WARNING: Skydio may recognize bushes, trees and similar obstacles as

potential surfaces. Make sure to first pilot the drone to an open area free of
obstacles before initiating a landing.

While Skydio 2 is landing you may nudge the drone forwards, backward, left, or right using
the Controller or digital thumbsticks in the app.

WARNING: Do not attempt hand-landing Skydio 2 before the LEDs turn yellow.
Attempting to hand-land Skydio 2 while obstacle avoidance is active will cause
it to attempt to avoid your hand and may result in Skydio 2 impacting yourself
or another nearby object. Please review the Hand Launching and Landing
section for step-by-step instructions and safety guidelines for this procedure.

You may also cancel any non-emergency landing by

tapping the Cancel button before the landing completes.

Cancel landing button

After Skydio 2 has landed it will begin syncing the recorded audio from the mobile device
to the drone’s video. Skydio 2 must stay powered on and connected to the app while this
sync is in progress for audio to be added to the videos.

39
Case Landing
When you are out in the wild it isn’t always possible to find a clean area to land your
Skydio 2. To initiate a case landing, the Skydio case must be in view of Skydio 2’s camera
while it is landing. A yellow ring will appear around the case in the live video feed to
indicate that Skydio 2 has seen the case and will land on it. If you do not see the yellow
ring, Skydio 2 will not land on the case and will continue to descend straight down.

Piloting or nudging the vehicle during a case landing will cancel the case landing and
continue with a normal landing.

Note: If a flight is initiated by taking off from a case (or a case is placed at Skydio
2’s exact take off point), GPS positional accuracy cannot be relied upon to
guarantee a case landing when using the Return to Home function (or in the case
of an RTH triggered by lost communication).

40
Hand Launching and Landing
WARNING: Launching and landing of the Skydio 2 drone from your hand is an advanced
maneuver only to be used when it is necessary, and it is advised that you do so only
if you are an experienced pilot and you can’t find a clear flat spot to take off or land.
USE CAUTION for your safety, high risk of severe injuries to your hand and body. Both
maneuvers are dangerous, may cause injury and should not be attempted in unstable
environments, such as during high winds or while standing on a moving vehicle or boat.
We highly recommend that you do not attempt hand launching or landing with Skydio
2 until you’ve become familiar with the product. Be sure to always follow all of our best
practices and guidelines on https://skydio.com/safety.

Hand Launching
CAUTION: High risk of injury. To avoid injury stay away from and do not touch
rotating propellers when they are spinning. Skydio does not recommend
launching the drone while holding the drone in your hand.

Warning: Exercise extreme care to avoid injury if drone takes off from your hand.

Step 1
Find a clear spot to launch your Skydio 2. When hand launching, the area
10 feet/3 m above you, 15 feet/4.5 m in front of you, and 3 feet/1 m on
either side of you should be clear.

Step 2
DO NOT launch on windy days. If there is any wind, for your safety please
make sure that it is blowing at your back, and never towards you. If the
wind is gusty or coming from different directions, consider launching from
the ground, or flying at another time.

Step 3
Hold your Skydio 2 from behind and pointed away from you, with your
hand lightly gripping the battery from underneath. It’s critical that
you keep your fingers below the Skydio 2 chassis and away from the
propellers at all times.

Step 4
Point the front camera away from you and hold your Skydio 2 away from
your body, level and still. Ensure your arm is extended such that the rear
propellers will not make contact with your arm.

41
 Step 5
Using your other hand, initiate a launch of the Skydio 2 using the app,
Beacon, or Controller.

Step 6
Release Skydio 2 carefully as the propellers begin to spin up by slowly
relaxing your grip. Keep your hand still - Skydio 2 will simply slide off your
palm and take flight on its own. No need to push it up in the air, or any
similar moves - just release your grip and use your flattened hand as a
takeoff platform.

Hand Landing
CAUTION: High risk of injury. To avoid injury stay away from and do not touch
rotating propellers when they are spinning. Skydio does not recommend
launching the drone while holding the drone in your hand.

WARNING: Exercise extreme care to avoid injury when attempting to land a drone
in your hand. Do not attempt Skydio 2 hand landing without first initiating a
landing, as it may cause severe injury. Do not attempt hand-landing a Skydio 2
drone before the LEDs turn yellow. Attempting to hand-land Skydio 2 drone while
obstacle avoidance is active will cause it to attempt to avoid your hand and may
result in Skydio 2 impacting yourself or another nearby object, which may cause
injury to yourself or nearby persons or objects. Hand-landing is not recommended
and only use it if required when surrounding surface conditions are unfavorable
for landing. Always land on a flat surface when possible.

Step 1
Ensure you have safe landing conditions, including low winds, and that
Skydio 2 is hovering stationary within a few feet of you and is no longer
following a subject. Position Skydio 2 so that it’s over clear ground and
you have ample space to move.

Step 2
Rotate Skydio 2 to face away from you so that the back of the chassis
and the battery are closest to you.

Step 3
Initiate a landing through the app, Beacon or Controller as you would
normally. Do not attempt Skydio 2 hand landing without first initiating
a landing. Doing so will result in the motors spinning at full speed and
may cause severe injury. Skydio 2 will descend straight down.
42
Step 4
While Skydio 2 is landing, move yourself into a position that will allow
the drone to safely land in your hand. You will be able to nudge the
drone forwards, backward, left, or right using the Controller or digital
thumbsticks in the app, however the safest, and recommended,
approach is to avoid nudging completely and adjust your position to
meet the drone instead.

Step 5
Skydio 2 will descend with full obstacle avoidance until it is 3m (10 ft)
above the ground. Once Skydio 2 is less than 3m from the ground the
LEDs on Skydio 2 will turn yellow and all obstacle avoidance will be
disabled for the remainder of the landing. Do not attempt to hand-
landSkydio 2 before the LEDs turn yellow. Attempting to hand-land
Skydio 2 while obstacle avoidance is active will cause it to attempt
to avoid your hand and may result in Skydio 2 impacting yourself or
another nearby object. You will be notified of this change on screen if
flying with the Skydio Enterprise app.

Step 6
After the LEDs have turned yellow, lightly grab the vehicle by the battery
from underneath. Once the drone has made contact with your hand,
grasp the battery on the sides, and hold the drone in the same position
until the propellers completely stop spinning.

Note: During the landing phase, Skydio 2 is checking if it is supported by a stable

surface and motionless for several seconds to ensure that a safe touchdown has
been achieved. Because of that, it may take the Skydio 2 several seconds to stop
the propellers after touching down. If you don’t keep Skydio 2 level and still when
landing it on your hand, the motors may spin back up again. If this happens,
maintain a firm grip on the battery and make sure you’re keeping the vehicle
flat and motionless for the motors to spin down. Do not attempt to rotate or flip
the vehicle during a hand landing. Doing so may cause the battery to become
dislodged.

Do not attempt a hand landing if:

• There are high winds present.

• Skydio 2 is not stable in flight for any reason.
• Skydio 2 is performing an emergency landing after an accident or crash.
• You are in an area where you do not have stable footing.
• You are on a moving vehicle or boat.

43
Viewing and Saving Media
In the Skydio Enterprise app
After your flight, you may view all photos and videos captured on your drone’s microSD
card in the Media tab of the Skydio Enterprise app.

• To save one or more photos and videos directly to your mobile device’s photo
album, long-press on a file to enter selection mode and select all the media you
wish to copy, then select “Save to Phone.”
• You may also tap on any photo or video to preview it before saving.
• When using the Interval photo mode, all photos captured will appear as a single
stack of photos. Tapping on the stack will allow you to scroll through individual
photos one by one.
• When previewing a video, you may create a clip of the video to save instead of
copying the entire video to your mobile device, which may be significantly faster
and take up less space.
• Skydio 2 can record video in either AVC (H.264) or HEVC (H.265). Different mobile
devices and personal computers have different compatibilities with these encoding
standards.
• Attempting to save a video or make a clip with an encoding that is not compatible
with your mobile device may cause playback issues.
• When capturing photos in JPG+DNG mode, only the JPG files will be displayed in
the Skydio Enterprise app. You may download the DNG image files directly from the
SD card.

Note: All photos taken by the Skydio 2 have EXIF data embedded to enable
postflight image analysis.

Viewing media on iOS vs Android

• iOS - Users can access the media tab while connected to the drone via the Skydio
2 Controller or directly with the mobile device, but not when connected via the
Beacon.
• Android - Users can only access the media tab while connected directly to the
drone with the mobile device. Media is not available when connected via either the
Controller or Beacon.

On your computer
You may also attach Skydio 2 to your personal computer via the USB-C port to view and
copy your full-resolution video and photos directly off the microSD card. Connecting via
USB to a computer that does not supply charging power will cause Skydio 2 to run off
battery power and may drain the battery.
44
Emergency Procedures
Several of the following emergency procedures involve Skydio 2 initiating an automatic
return to home. When this happens, Skydio 2’s return behavior will be the same as a pilot-
initiated return, and depending on your return settings, the drone will ascend before
returning. Return settings and behaviors are outlined in the Return Procedures section on
page 35.

Link Loss & Device Failure Procedure

In the event of a link loss or failure of the controlling device, Skydio 2 will
automatically return to the Home Point (if one was specified) or the original
launch point (if no Home Point was specified).

Note: If the vehicle is in the Cable skill and actively tracking a subject at
the time of link loss, it will continue to follow the subject for 30 seconds
while attempting to regain connection. If connection does not return
after 30 seconds, Skydio 2 will automatically return to the Home Point (if
one was specified) or the last known location of the tracked subject (if
no Home Point was specified).

All locations specified above (launch point, home point and last known subject
location) may be viewed on the map in the Skydio Enterprise app. You have
access the map at all times from one of the following three locations:

• In Flight: Tapping the Map button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
• Disconnected Screen: Tapping the “View Map” button.
• App Home Screen: Selecting the “Discover” tab, then selecting their Skydio
2 from the list of devices and selecting “Find <vehicle name>”.

If at any time Skydio 2 regains connection it will continue the current action, but
you are given the opportunity to cancel it.

Lost GPS Procedure

Skydio 2 loses GPS
In the event that the Skydio 2’s GPS signal is lost, the drone will continue flying as
normal. You will still be able to Return Home and fly to waypoints, however Skydio
2’s flight will be less accurate.

45
 Note: When Skydio 2 is flying high up in the air or over large bodies of
water, visual positioning becomes more difficult and the drone relies on
GPS to assist with lateral positioning. In the event that GPS is lost in such
conditions, Skydio 2’s lateral positioning will be affected and the drone
may initiate an emergency landing.

Skydio 2 loses GPS during Waypoint Mission

If Skydio 2 loses GPS while executing a Waypoint mission, the drone will continue
on and attempt to fly to each waypoint. At the final waypoint you will see a “GPS
Lost” message in the app. At this point you may manually pilot the drone and
attempt to regain a GPS signal, then restart the mission.

Skydio 2 never had GPS

If Skydio 2 never obtains a strong GPS signal (it’s either poor or non-existent
throughout the flight), you may not be able to set a Home Point, fly to a
waypoint, or return to phone/Home. If your Return Type is set to Vision, however,
you will be able to reliably return to the Launch Point using Skydio 2’s vision
navigation system.

Low Battery Procedure

If a Home Point was specified for the flight, The Skydio 2 will notify the user and offer to
return to the Home Point when its battery reaches the level where the Home Point is at
the edge of its expected flight range. This notification may be ignored by the operator if
they wish to continue flying.

Note: Skydio 2 will not automatically return to the home point when it reaches
low battery. It will simply notify you that it’s time to return, at which point you will
need to command a return using the Return to Home button in the app or on the
Skydio 2 Controller.

If no Home Point was specified for the mission, Skydio 2 will display a warning to the
operator when it has 2 minutes of flight time left. The Skydio 2 will automatically perform
an emergency landing at its current location once its battery reaches 1%.

46
Flying Safely
• The Skydio 2 only avoids obstacles that are not in motion. Cars, boats, balls,
animals, other drones, other people, or similar moving objects may not be
avoided if they’re moving. You should exercise extreme caution and good
judgment when flying with other people around. If you know that you’ll
be around others in motion, we suggest you leave the Height Floor setting
enabled to ensure Skydio 2 maintains a safe elevation.
• WARNING: Keep your fingers away from the propellers anytime they’re
spinning such as during launch, flight, and landing. Attempting to touch
the propellers or the drone during flight, launch or landing has a high risk of
severe injury.
• When landing, Skydio 2 descends straight down and does not avoid
obstacles. Ensure your landing area is flat and clear of obstacles. Stay clear
of the landing area to avoid injury.
• Do not intentionally try to crash Skydio 2.
• When following a car or other vehicle, follow while off-road or on a closed
course. Never use Skydio 2 over public roadways.
• While Skydio 2 is designed for use outdoors, it can be flown indoors in certain
environments with caution. Only fly indoors in large, open areas with good
lighting, like large warehouses, gymnasiums, or similar spaces. If you fly
indoors, avoid flying near glass, mirrors, solid textureless walls, or polished,
reflective flooring.
• The Skydio 2’s metal frame may become hot to the touch in high-temperature
environments or direct sunlight, even if powered off. The metal frame may also
become hot if powered on while on the ground for long periods of time.
• Do not fly over bodies of water more than 30 ft. across if Skydio 2 indicates a
GPS quality warning.
• Skydio 2 can’t see certain visually challenging obstacles. Do not fly around
thin branches, telephone or power lines, ropes, netting, wires, chain link
fencing or other objects less than ½ inch in diameter.
• Do not fly around transparent surfaces like windows or reflective surfaces like
mirrors greater than 60cm wide.
• If your Skydio 2 does hit an obstacle it can’t see, it will do its best to stabilize
itself and continue the flight.
• When the sun is low on the horizon, it can temporarily blind Skydio 2’s cameras
depending on the angle of flight. Your drone may be cautious or jerky when
flying directly toward the sun.

47
 • Your Skydio 2 can fly up to 36 mph/57 kmh under most conditions. When
Obstacle Margin is set to Reduced, Skydio 2 has a max speed of 9 mph/14
kmh.}
• If your Skydio 2 can’t see you, it may stop following you temporarily. It will wait
until it reacquires you visually or use your Beacon’s GPS to find you.
• Skydio 2 may instruct you to land if it encounters an error or determines the
environment is not safe for flying. When instructed to do so, immediately fly
Skydio 2 to the safest area nearby and land.
• Flying at high altitudes may significantly increase the time required to return
and safely land the Skydio 2. The pilot is responsible for managing the
vehicle’s altitude, range and battery level at all times.
• Be sure to pay attention to any in-app messages.
• Skydio 2 should not be used or handled by a person under the age of 18. If
you are under 18, please use the drone with adult supervision.

Check out https://skydio.com/safety and https://skydio.com/support for more

information and helpful tips, videos, articles. Contact us at help@skydio.com to
speak with our support team if you need any help.

Recovering a Lost Drone

In the event that your Skydio 2 is lost, you may view its last known location by selecting
the vehicle from the “Info” tab on the app home screen and selecting “Find <vehicle
name>”.

Flying with the Skydio 2 app (Skydio 2 consumer app)

The Skydio Enterprise app is required to unlock your Skydio 2’s AEF features, however you
may fly with the Skydio 2 consumer app if you wish.

When you connect your drone to the Skydio 2 app, you will access the consumer features
and your experience will be that of a consumer—you will not see any AEF features. For
information about flying with the Skydio 2 app, please reference our Skydio 2 user guide.

When you’re ready to get back to business, simply connect to the Skydio Enterprise app
and you will be able to access your AEF feature set.

48
Flying with Beacon
The Skydio 2 Beacon is a powerful accessory that extends the communication range to
your Skydio 2 when flying with the Skydio 2 Controller is not an option.

Beacon flight is currently optimized for the Skydio 2 consumer experience. If you’d like to fly
with Beacon, we recommend doing so with the Skydio 2 consumer app in order to unlock
Beacon’s full range of flight capabilities:
1. Download and install the Skydio 2 app from the App Store or Google Play
2. Register in the app using the same email address you use to fly with the Skydio
Enterprise app
3. Connect to your Skydio 2 drone
4. Once connected, your Skydio 2 will go into “Consumer Mode” and you will get
the consumer experience. Any enterprise-grade settings will default to consumer
settings (obstacle avoidance will be set to Full, flight style will be Cinematic, etc.)
5. When in “Consumer Mode,” you will be able to fly Beacon with all controls available
to you. Check out our Skydio 2 and Skydio Beacon user guides for more information
about the consumer flight experience.
6. Connecting your Skydio 2 to the Skydio Enterprise app will set your drone back to
“Enterprise Mode,” and you will be able to customize your enterprise settings as
desired.
7. If you do not intend to fly with the Skydio 2 consumer app, you will still have access
to basic controls with Beacon. In this case, Beacon will act as a range extender and
allow you to control your Skydio 2 up to 1.5 km away.

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Specifications
General
SIZE WITH BATTERY 223 x 273 x 74 mm (l x w x h)
SIZE WITHOUT BATTERY 223 x 273 x 43 mm (l x w x h)
SIZE OF INCLUDED HARD CASE 297 x 255 x 65 mm (l x w x h)
(case fits: drone, spare propellers,
charging cable, and either 2 batteries
or 1 battery and 1 wall adapter.)
WEIGHT (WITH BATTERY) 775 g
FLIGHT TIME 23 minutes
MAX FLIGHT SPEED (SEA LEVEL, NO WIND) 36 mph (fully autonomous)
MAX WIND SPEED RESISTANCE 25 mph
MAX SERVICE CEILING (ABOVE SEA LEVEL) 15,000 ft density altitude
MAX FLIGHT ALTITUDE (FROM CONTROL 1,640 ft
DEVICE)
OPERATIONAL TEMPERATURE RANGE -5°C to 40°C

Autonomy System
MAIN PROCESSOR NVIDIA Tegra X2 SOC
GPU 256-core NVIDIA Pascal™ GPU
CPU Dual-Core NVIDIA Denver 2 64-bit CPU
Quad-Core ARM®-A57 MPCore
RAM 4GB 128-bit LPDDR4
OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE COVERAGE Omnidirectional and above/below
Super fisheye lenses for 360° view
3D WORLD MODEL UPDATE RATE > 1 million points per second
WORLD MODEL-TO-ACTION UPDATE RATE 500 iterations per second
ONBOARD AI 9 custom deep networks used in flight
USER-SELECTABLE SUBJECTS FOR TRACK- People and motor vehicles
ING
OBJECT TRACKING AND IDENTIFICATION Up to 10 simultaneous objects of
interest
CALIBRATION Automated online calibration of lens
parameters, camera rotations, wind
speed, and air density

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Wireless & GPS
RANGE TO PHONE (LINE OF SIGHT, IDEAL 200 m
CONDITIONS)
RANGE TO BEACON (LINE OF SIGHT, IDEAL Up to 1.5 km
CONDITIONS*)
RANGE TO CONTROLLER (LINE OF SIGHT, Up to 3.5 km
IDEAL CONDITIONS*)
OPERATING FREQUENCIES 2.4-2.483 GHz
5.18-5.24 GHz
5.725-5.85 GHz
CHANNEL WIDTH (STANDARD WIFI) 20, 40, and 80 MHz
CHANNEL WIDTH (SKYDIO LINK™) 5 and 10 MHz
GPS SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS GPS and GLONASS
*maximum range may be achieved under ideal conditions, which vary depending on weather, temperature,
electromagnetic or other interference, visual line of sight, obstacles and other factors.

Navigation Camera System

CONFIGURATION 6x cameras in trinocular configuration
top and bottom
SENSOR TYPE Sony 1/3” 4K color CMOS
LENS APERTURE f/1.8
FIELD-OF-VIEW 200°
ENVIRONMENT COVERAGE True 360°
FRAME RATE 30 FPS

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Primary Camera System
SENSOR TYPE Sony IMX577
1/2.3” 12.3MP CMOS
SENSOR ACTIVE PIXELS 4056 (H) x 3040 (V)
LENS APERTURE f/2.8
LENS FOCAL LENGTH 20mm (35mm format equivalent)
LENS DEPTH OF FIELD 1m - ∞
SHUTTER SPEED electronic shutter 1 to 1/1920s
ISO RANGE video 100-3200
photo 100-3200
EXPOSURE CONTROL -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0
IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSOR Qualcomm QCS605
GPU Adreno™ 615
CPU 64-bit octa-core Kryo™ 300
DSP Hexagon™ 685, 2x HVX
RESOLUTION AND MODES 3840x2160 30 fps
3840x2160 60 fps
3840x2160 48 fps
3840x2160 24 fps
1920x1080 120 fps
1920x1080 60 fps
1920x1080 30 fps
BITRATE 100 Mbps
VIDEO FORMAT MPEG-4 (AVC/H.264, HEVC/H.265)
STILL RESOLUTION 4056x3040 (12 MP)
STILL FORMATS JPEG, DNG (RAW)
STILL MODES Single, Interval
DYNAMIC RANGE 13 stops
STORAGE Removable Micro SD Card
UHS Speed Class 3 / V30
STABILIZATION MECHANICAL RANGE pitch ±124°, roll ±120°, yaw ±12.5°
PITCH CONTROLLABLE RANGE -110° to +45°

52
Compliance Information
FCC
Any changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by Skydio for compliance will void
the user’s authorization to operate this equipment.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant
to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference
by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or experienced radio/TV technician for help.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)
This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. The
distance between user and products should be no less than 20cm. The end user must follow the specific
operating instruction for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This transmitter must not be co-located or
operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

California Prop 65 Warning

Lithium-ion Batteries and/or products that contain Lithium- ion Batteries can expose you to chemicals
including cobalt lithium nickel oxide, and nickel, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

IC
This device contains licence-exempt transmitter(s)/receiver(s) that comply with Innovation, Science
and Economic Development Canada’s licence-exempt RSS(s). Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:

• This device may not cause interference.

• This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause.

L’émetteur/récepteur exempt de licence contenu dans le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR
d’Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts
de licence. L’exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes:

• L’ appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage.

• L’ appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible
d’ en compromettre le fonctionnement.
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