My Skydio videos

[Ridefreak]

I agree it’s easier for the drone to follow from the rear. I’m curious if you have experimented with ”fixed” vs “motion” track when following from the front?

I'm not sure of the names of the modes compared to the display, but I'm almost always using the mode where it shows a circle with a sector blacked out indicating drone's orientation. I should test the other mode (whichever one that is). What I noticed with this drone and my other one, when it's in front and you make a turn which of course it can't predict the drone has to sweep over, there's a good bit of side to side in it's travel when the trail is curvy, I've gotten some great video doing exactly that. The last couple times I've kept it toward the back though.

I was pretty happy with the day's flights, 5 full flights with zero drama. One time I did have to kneel down to catch the drone with my hand because I started landing too far away. Totally my fault.

 

[skydioconvert]

I made a lanyard and it clips on to the strap for my backpack. It fits into a pocket on the strap but I leave it out hanging when the drone is flying.

I've found that filming a motorcycle the drone does best if it's following, the path is smoother and less reactionary unlike if it's in front of you filming backwards and you turn, then it has to rush to get back in position. It's out of sight most of the time so I look back allot more which will definitely screw you up when riding if you're not careful.

In the follow mode out in the desert all you really have to watch is the drone's battery, it follows flawlessly for miles.

Makes sense that the drone can follow you better from the rear. That way it has a better view of the possible landscape in front of you and it can better predict possible turns you might make.

Too bad that there's no way to provide you a simple audio alert when the distance between you and the drone exceeds a chosen maximum distance.

Until you heard the alert you wouldn't have to turn around and check-up on the drones location.

 

[Ridefreak]

Makes sense that the drone can follow you better from the rear. That way it has a better view of the possible landscape in front of you and it can better predict possible turns you might make.

Too bad that there's no way to provide you a simple audio alert when the distance between you and the drone exceeds a chosen maximum distance.

Until you heard the alert you wouldn't have to turn around and check-up on the drones location.

It kinda does, when it looses the connection the beacon will beep but by that time there could be allot of area to search esp if I'm moving pretty good.

 

[skydioconvert]

It kinda does, when it looses the connection the beacon will beep but by that time there could be allot of area to search esp if I'm moving pretty good.

Wasn't aware of the lose of connection beep you refer to ....

Does it beep under any other scenario?

 

[Ridefreak]

Wasn't aware of the lose of connection beep you refer to ....

Does it beep under any other scenario?

Battery getting low, I often don't hear it riding with my helmet on.

 

[skydioconvert]

Battery getting low, I often don't hear it riding with my helmet on.

Thanks for the feedback....

Don't some helmets offer a Wifi connection/speaker to get around that problem?

 

[Ridefreak]

Thanks for the feedback....

Don't some helmets offer a Wifi connection/speaker to get around that problem?

Not that would help you to hear the beep over the other sounds. I just keep an eye on it but I wish the battery life was displayed in larger text, it's kind of hard to read at a glance.

 

[skydioconvert]

Not that would help you to hear the beep over the other sounds. I just keep an eye on it but I wish the battery life was displayed in larger text, it's kind of hard to read at a glance.

Understood.... bad spots in your path need to command most of your attention.

 

[FliesDrones]

I'm not sure of the names of the modes compared to the display, but I'm almost always using the mode where it shows a circle with a sector blacked out indicating drone's orientation. I should test the other mode (whichever one that is). What I noticed with this drone and my other one, when it's in front and you make a turn which of course it can't predict the drone has to sweep over, there's a good bit of side to side in it's travel when the trail is curvy, I've gotten some great video doing exactly that. The last couple times I've kept it toward the back though.

I was pretty happy with the day's flights, 5 full flights with zero drama. One time I did have to kneel down to catch the drone with my hand because I started landing too far away. Totally my fault.

So the main modes are Motion Track (the one you're using), Fixed Track (always track from the same angle, regardless of where you're going), Orbit (go around you forever), Cable (move between two points, but you can click a person to have the camera point towards them, coolest shots ever btw) and Hover (the default). There is a Learn mode which is the tutorial when you first download the Skydio app (I find it useful when training others).

Flight School has some of this stuff.

 

[Ridefreak]

I did a bike ride Saturday and brought the drone along. It was pretty warm, about 100F, it did very well following me through the forest but the dirt road I was on had room for the drone to maneuver.

Had a encounter with a tree branch on that last flight, the skydio handled it gracefully.

 

[richinAZ]

I did a bike ride Saturday and brought the drone along. It was pretty warm, about 100F, it did very well following me through the forest but the dirt road I was on had room for the drone to maneuver.

Had a encounter with a tree branch on that last flight, the skydio handled it gracefully.

Great video ! the drone was laser focused on you. Height floor off ? bright helmet made a big difference don't you think ?
when the saw the cop car pull up to you at the end, all i could think was the scene from national lampoon's "Vacation" when the cop pulls over chevy chase and says "poor little guy, probably kept up for a mile or so, ..tough little mutt" i was going to post the clip but no luck.

 

[VEGASROBBI]

 

[richinAZ]

thanks man !

 

[frankbonatelli]

I did a bike ride Saturday and brought the drone along. It was pretty warm, about 100F, it did very well following me through the forest but the dirt road I was on had room for the drone to maneuver.

Had a encounter with a tree branch on that last flight, the skydio handled it gracefully.

As usual a great production! As we have the same taste in ride brands Id be interested to know your speeds during S2 use? As for the impact and "graceful" ending If it had been more then that and had a bad ending is it user error or S2 decision making that was in error. The difference between your footage and mine is trees! I had one small patch of bush on the road while you road through forests. This is exactly what I was hoping for but after this long wait for repairs i don't know I'm willing to trust it again. So whats your secret sauce? My max speed was 70 km at time of impact, I judge that you are ruffly doing the same speeds nearing the end of the ride. In your videos the S2 handled these trees as we all expect from the device, like a champ! so whats your secret?

 

[VEGASROBBI]

"My max speed was 70 km at time of impact,"

Maximum speed for the S2 is 36 miles per hour. 70 km is 43 mph.

I find myself having to slow down with the S2 for many reasons. One the faster you go the higher it flies so I will slow down to bring it closer to the ground. Two if near dense brush or trees I slow down to give the S2 time to think and navigate around these obstacles.

 

[frankbonatelli]

Yes hard lesson to learn but your statement of high it flys when at speed is contrary to my experiences with the S2. The insadent in question as i approached the high speed it got closer to me and in turn to the hazard of the ONE bush by the road!

 

[VEGASROBBI]

Well yes sometimes at high speed when I'm going up in elevation it will get pretty low and I manually wand it up. I have had random instances of the S2 getting below 8 ft but in general at 5 to 10 miles an hour it will stay about 8 ft, as I increase past 10 miles an hour it will start to rise in elevation sometimes reaching 20 ft so I slow down.

 

[Ridefreak]

Here's some Skydio video from a recent motorcycle trip in Moab, Enjoy!

 

[skydioconvert]

Here's some Skydio video from a recent motorcycle trip in Moab, Enjoy!

Always fun to follow your videos....

Have you ever had your Skydio replaced or are you still you using the original?

 

[Ridefreak]

Always fun to follow your videos....

Have you ever had your Skydio replaced or are you still you using the original?

Thanks, This is the original drone I got when they were first released 2 years ago, no complaints. I tried out the SD R1 at their request and provided a bunch of feedback 3 years ago. The SD2 was well into development by that time so I doubt my input led to any changes but the SD2 addressed all the things I identified as problems (for my use).

I'm very happy with it.