The Skydio 2 Does Avoid Obstacles When Force Lands

[Lon Denard]

Just a quick clip showing the Skydio 2 avoiding obstacles as it lands on the lady's lawn with a low battery.

On the one hand, I'm impressed that it does avoid obstacles while force landing and that the find my drone function was SPOT ON!!! On the other, I was irritated that it mis-calculated the battery time horribly and the battery meter isn't perfect by any stretch. My advice on this drone is to not play with the battery, don't push it and don't trust the meter. When this drone decides to land, it means it. Once the count down starts, if you aren't CERTAIN you can make it. Use that time to find a safe place to land.

 

[skydioconvert]

Just a quick clip showing the Skydio 2 avoiding obstacles as it lands on the lady's lawn with a low battery.

On the one hand, I'm impressed that it does avoid obstacles while force landing and that the find my drone function was SPOT ON!!! On the other, I was irritated that it mis-calculated the battery time horribly and the battery meter isn't perfect by any stretch. My advice on this drone is to not play with the battery, don't push it and don't trust the meter. When this drone decides to land, it means it. Once the count down starts, if you aren't CERTAIN you can make it. Use that time to find a safe place to land.

Think your last sentence is really really really good advice!

Out of curiosity what kind of battery level was being shown when the S2 returned to home?

P.S. The fact that OA is still functioning during a forced landing is very good news.

 

[leenanj]

Just a quick clip showing the Skydio 2 avoiding obstacles as it lands on the lady's lawn with a low battery.

On the one hand, I'm impressed that it does avoid obstacles while force landing and that the find my drone function was SPOT ON!!! On the other, I was irritated that it mis-calculated the battery time horribly and the battery meter isn't perfect by any stretch. My advice on this drone is to not play with the battery, don't push it and don't trust the meter. When this drone decides to land, it means it. Once the count down starts, if you aren't CERTAIN you can make it. Use that time to find a safe place to land.

The OA is on until the very end of the landing sequence. When you saw the camera move to straight down on its own is when the Skydio turns off it's OA. I think that's about 4 feet off the ground.

I have found the battery meter pretty accurate but the warning should be sooner. I think I had about two minutes left after getting the low battery warning. I am sure there software will evolve over time and make this time adjustable.

 

[Lon Denard]

The OA is on until the very end of the landing sequence. When you saw the camera move to straight down on its own is when the Skydio turns off it's OA. I think that's about 4 feet off the ground.

I have found the battery meter pretty accurate but the warning should be sooner. I think I had about two minutes left after getting the low battery warning. I am sure there software will evolve over time and make this time adjustable.

Maybe I mispoke, I got a warning saying I had just enough battery to return, I hit RTH, the countdown started and the drone force landed an eight of a mile away.

 

[Lon Denard]

Think your last sentence is really really really good advice!

Out of curiosity what kind of battery level was being shown when the S2 returned to home?

P.S. The fact that OA is still functioning during a forced landing is very good news.

About 30% and I was about a 1/2 mile out. It made it about 3/4 of the way. I felt the meter kind of let me down a bit.

 

[leenanj]

Maybe I mispoke, I got a warning saying I had just enough battery to return, I hit RTH, the countdown started and the drone force landed an eight of a mile away.

Got it, maybe wind was a factor? Or they need to increase the warning time.

 

[Lon Denard]

Got it, maybe wind was a factor? Or they need to increase the warning time.

Maybe, I'm afraid that it's not taking distance into the calculation but strictly warns you based on time. I'm not sure but it started that countdown right after I got the warning. There was no way I was making it back with anything to spare regardless of the conditions. It was WAY too quick.

 

[leenanj]

Maybe, I'm afraid that it's not taking distance into the calculation but strictly warns you based on time. I'm not sure but it started that countdown right after I got the warning. There was no way I was making it back with anything to spare regardless of the conditions. It was WAY too quick.

You may be right about based on time after warning. The battery meter does go red long before the actual low battery warning however but no audible warning.

 

[skydioconvert]

About 30% and I was about a 1/2 mile out. It made it about 3/4 of the way. I felt the meter kind of let me down a bit.

A warning at 30% battery level seems very reasonable.

Winds could definitely screw up how much time the battery still had left so I'm not sure what you could have done differently.

The only really safe thing to have done would be to have landed immediately but I think most pilots wouldn't do that.

 

[Lon Denard]

A warning at 30% battery level seems very reasonable.

Winds could definitely screw up how much time the battery still had left so I'm not sure what you could have done differently.

The only really safe thing to have done would be to have landed immediately but I think most pilots wouldn't do that.

I say that in the comments. Unless you are absolutely certain you can make it or you're out in an open field with no roads, water, trees, etc between you and the drone, when that countdown starts, you'd better look for a place to safely land! I got lucky. Because the thing I didn't mention is, once it starts down, you no longer have any input in it's decisions. You can't even move it laterally to miss that road or pond. Then throw in that it'll probably lose signal before it lands...

 

[skydioconvert]

I say that in the comments. Unless you are absolutely certain you can make it or you're out in an open field with no roads, water, trees, etc between you and the drone, when that countdown starts, you'd better look for a place to safely land! I got lucky. Because the thing I didn't mention is, once it starts down, you no longer have any input in it's decisions. You can't even move it laterally to miss that road or pond. Then throw in that it'll probably lose signal before it lands...

I'm more cautious than most and would land immediately when I got the low battery warning.

Your excellent point about not being able to control the S2 once it goes into auto-land is just all the more reason not to push ones luck.

Guess what's influencing me the most is that a long time ago I lost a Phantom 1 because I ran into a wind problem even though I was flying VLOS.

 

[Lon Denard]

I'm more cautious than most and would land immediately when I got the low battery warning.

Your excellent point about not being able to control the S2 once it goes into auto-land is just all the more reason not to push ones luck.

Guess what's influencing me the most is that a long time ago I lost a Phantom 1 because I ran into a wind problem even though I was flying VLOS.

Agreed, I got lucky in that it didn't land in a pond, on a roof or in a road. I'm not making that mistake again but to be honest, it's also making me hesitate to use this drone. That lack of confidence is going to shelve this drone behind my Mavic 2 Pro.

 

[skydioconvert]

Agreed, I got lucky in that it didn't land in a pond, on a roof or in a road. I'm not making that mistake again but to be honest, it's also making me hesitate to use this drone. That lack of confidence is going to shelve this drone behind my Mavic 2 Pro.

I've also got a Mavic 2 also but that's the drone that's shelved now .... not the S2 that's on order.

I'll just fly the S2 no where near its low battery warning ... (i.e. forced landing avoided).

 

[Lon Denard]

I've also got a Mavic 2 also but that's the drone that's shelved now .... not the S2 that's on order.

I'll just fly the S2 no where near its low battery warning ... (i.e. forced landing avoided).

Absolutely true! I'll be curious to see how you come out in the end. It's a different experience for sure!

 

[AntDX316]

Just a quick clip showing the Skydio 2 avoiding obstacles as it lands on the lady's lawn with a low battery.

On the one hand, I'm impressed that it does avoid obstacles while force landing and that the find my drone function was SPOT ON!!! On the other, I was irritated that it mis-calculated the battery time horribly and the battery meter isn't perfect by any stretch. My advice on this drone is to not play with the battery, don't push it and don't trust the meter. When this drone decides to land, it means it. Once the count down starts, if you aren't CERTAIN you can make it. Use that time to find a safe place to land.

This is the results of joining up after matured firmware has been released. There are those who have lost their drones with immature firmware. Just as people had to eat everything to determine if it's safe, some people eat poisonous berries, probably tried frying venomous spiders, only to have dire results.

 

[Lon Denard]

This is the results of joining up after matured firmware has been released. There are those who have lost their drones with immature firmware. Just as people had to eat everything to determine if it's safe, some people eat poisonous berries, probably tried frying venomous spiders, only to have dire results.

Maybe but it can be cool to be one of the first! I'm a second gen early adopter through and through! Cable, Microwave, Color TV, Cassette Tape, VHS, Laserdisk, Beta, Minidisk, 800mm, CDs, DVD, Smart Phone, Parrot AR Drone 1.0, GoPro, 4 stroke dirt bike, Blu-ray, 4K, Folding Phone, 8K, etc. I'm usually in from the start, for better or worse. Some of you guys are still waiting for Blu-ray to become "affordable" ...

 

[leenanj]

Maybe but it can be cool to be one of the first! I'm a second gen early adopter through and through! Cable, Microwave, Color TV, Cassette Tape, VHS, Laserdisk, Beta, Minidisk, 800mm, CDs, DVD, Smart Phone, Parrot AR Drone 1.0, GoPro, 4 stroke dirt bike, Blu-ray, 4K, Folding Phone, 8K, etc. I'm usually in from the start, for better or worse. Some of you guys are still waiting for Blu-ray to become "affordable" ...

haha, I'm kinda the same way as you, not all of the stuff you listed but most. By the time a product becomes mainstream and affordable its obsolete and time to move on to the latest techno gadgets!

 

[skydioconvert]

Maybe but it can be cool to be one of the first! I'm a second gen early adopter through and through! Cable, Microwave, Color TV, Cassette Tape, VHS, Laserdisk, Beta, Minidisk, 800mm, CDs, DVD, Smart Phone, Parrot AR Drone 1.0, GoPro, 4 stroke dirt bike, Blu-ray, 4K, Folding Phone, 8K, etc. I'm usually in from the start, for better or worse. Some of you guys are still waiting for Blu-ray to become "affordable" ...

You actually bought a "folding phone"???

 

[Lon Denard]

You actually bought a "folding phone"???

Yes I have the Galaxy Fold. Pretty cool device!

 

[Lon Denard]

haha, I'm kinda the same way as you, not all of the stuff you listed but most. By the time a product becomes mainstream and affordable its obsolete and time to move on to the latest techno gadgets!

Exactly!!! I drop my Galaxy Fold on the table at lunch and it's hilarious to see people faces! It's funny, I've had it since day one with zero issues. All the YouTube/tech reviewer garbage is just that, garbage. It's fun to use and way better to do stuff like this on than my S10+, for example.

We'll have brain implants to consume media before some of these guys have 4k TVs!!! Hahaha!