Skydio R1

The Skydio R1 is a teleoperated quadcopter drone from the American company Skydio. Released in 2018, it was built in small quantities as a proof of concept for the company's later models. As Skydio's first drone, the R1 can fly autonomously using only its twelve navigation cameras. It also features a gimbal-stabilized 4K main camera and is controlled through a mobile app instead of a traditional controller. The drone's carbon-fiber and aluminum frame allows it to fit in a backpack without damage. Its maximum flight time is 16 minutes, which was shorter than contemporary DJI drones, according to The Verge. The R1 is powered by a 256-core NVIDIA Jetson TX1 mounted in its center, enabling it to recognize humans and other objects. Initially, a limited "Frontier Edition" was produced at Skydio's headquarters before mass production began. While praised for its autonomous abilities, the R1 was significantly more expensive than the competing DJI Mavic Pro. Engadget noted that its price nearly matched the high-end DJI Inspire 2. The R1 remained listed on Skydio's website until at least July 2019. After the launch of its successor, the Skydio 2, co-founder Adam Bry called the R1 "the Tesla Roadster of autonomous drones," comparing it to the limited-production electric car that served as a proof of concept for Tesla Motors.