The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® announced today that it has selected Skydio Scout as a 2023 CES Innovation Awards Honoree. Skydio Scout is an autonomous skill designed to help pilots obtain situational awareness in new and dynamic scenarios, expanding the list of use cases where drones can provide value. We’ve seen Defense forces use Scout to monitor what's ahead of moving convoys, Public Safety agencies perform quicker maritime drone search and rescue, and more.
Scout works by enabling the Skydio drone to fly autonomously at a set distance and height from either the Skydio Enterprise Controller or the Skydio Beacon while on the move — all without the pilot having to manually operate the drone. Skydio’s unmatched obstacle avoidance makes for worry-free flying while maintaining a set distance from the GPS location, even without visual line of sight.
Picture yourself in the cockpit of a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) army convoy vehicle navigating potentially hostile terrain. With its heavy armor, the vehicle offers only a limited view through reinforced windows. But danger could be coming from any direction. With Scout, the copilot can watch a birds-eye view from an overhead Skydio drone, as it either follows or leads the convoy. When areas of suspicion arise, the operator can manually fly the drone for a closer look, then return the drone to Scout mode for autonomous situational awareness. The result is enhanced safety and a greater chance of mission success for the entire convoy.
"We are thrilled to have Skydio Scout named as a CES 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree,” said James Ferrandini, Product Manager for Skydio Scout. “Our customers have put Scout to work in tremendous ways, and we are proud to develop innovative capabilities to support their life-saving efforts across the globe.”
What's new with Skydio Scout?
Skydio’s software-defined drones continue to add functionality long after their initial release, and in this case, even after winning the CES Innovation Award. Based on feedback from customers, we’re developing a second tracking behavior to best serve mission objectives. Coming this month, “Relative” tracking will be available along with our original “Fixed” tracking behavior:
- Relative: As the subject’s GPS heading changes, the drone will automatically change its horizontal direction (yaw) to mirror the directional changes of the tracked GPS heading.
- Fixed: The drone’s position and yaw will not reflect the rotational changes of the subject’s GPS heading. The drone’s orientation will stay fixed relative to the tracked GPS location.
In addition to the new behavior setting, an augmented reality marker now displays on the flight screen over the tracked GPS subject to help pilots orient themselves faster and reduce the cognitive load required of our operators in the field.
To see the award winning Skydio Scout in action, reach out to your Skydio sales representative or click the link below to have someone reach out to you.
Schedule a demo with sales.
For more information on how to use Scout, visit How to Use Skydio Scout Skill.
The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.
