X2 | |
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![]() Skydio X2D in flight | |
General information | |
Type | Camera drone |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Skydio AeroArc |
Primary users | United States Armed Forces |
History | |
Manufactured | 2020–present |
Introduction date | July 2020 |
Developed from | Skydio 2 |
The Skydio X2 is an American teleoperated compact quadcopter drone produced by Skydio. Introduced in July 2020, the X2 is intended for both military and civilian use and has also been produced in India by AeroArc.
In 2020, Skydio announced the X2 series as an enlarged derivative of the Skydio 2 consumer drone for military and corporate use. [1] Compared to the Skydio 2, the X2 features a strengthened carbon fiber airframe with folding arms. [2] [3] Flight time was increased to 35 minutes; up from the 23 minutes of its consumer counterpart. [2] [4] The X2 was initially released in two models; the X2D for military and government use and the X2E for first responders and civilian users. [5] [6] Both models were offered with two different camera configurations, designated Color and Color/Thermal. [7] The Color/Thermal model features a FLIR Boson thermal camera with 8x digital zoom and a 12-megapixel color high-dynamic-range (HDR) camera with a ≈46-degree field of view (FOV), 16x digital zoom, and capable of shooting 4K video at 60 frames per second. [8] [9] The Color model removed the thermal camera, while the color camera was upgraded with an 80-degree FOV. [8] The cameras are mounted on a gimbal with 180 degrees of vertical motion. [10] The X2 series also has built-invisible and infrared lights, allowing it to capture video in low-light conditions. The drone also features six navigation cameras which are used for collision avoidance during daytime flights, while a GPS is used for navigation at night. [3] [7] The X2 has an Nvidia Tegra X2 chip, allowing the drone to use its seven visual cameras to autonomously create 3D point maps. [11]
An upgraded model of the thermal camera-equipped X2D was announced in May 2023 as the X2D Multiband. Compared to its predecessor, the Multiband is capable of operating on multiple frequencies, allowing it to overcome bandwidth limitations and interference. [12] [13]
In June 2023, Skydio released a software update for several of its civilian drones, including the X2E, which enabled them to broadcast Remote ID signals. [14]
Data from Skydio X2D INTL Operator Manual [16]
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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