Skydio 2 was launched in 2019, it combines groundbreaking artificial intelligence with a best-in-class 4k60HDR camera, 3.5 kilometers of wireless range, and 23 minutes of flight time in a drone that fits anywhere you can carry a 13” laptop. For experienced pilots, Skydio 2 makes every aspect of flying drones more creative, more fun, more useful, and less stressful. It’s also capable of flying itself with the skills of an expert pilot, opening up the power and magic of aerial capture to new audiences.
Skydio 2 with Beacon & Controller
For the Skydio 2, Beacon, and Controller I was responsible for designing the mobile app, Beacon interface, and conducting early beta testing. For the mobile app, I made dramatic improvements to the product:
Introduction of the Autonomy widget which communicated what the autonomous drone was doing and provided a way for the user to pause and stop autonomous actions.
Tutorial as a part of the out of box experience. Tutorials were standard practice for me coming from the gaming industry, to initially see the product didn’t have one despite the end user potentially never having flown a drone before, was an immediate priority that needed to be remedied before launch.
Simplification of the pairing process and connection state between the phone/controller, vehicle, and Beacon.
Improved accessibility for users with visual and mobility impairments.
Social Acceptance & Adoption
In 2021, I had the opportunity to present at AUVSI Xponential discussing how product designers build trust between technology and humans through design and why this is even more so important with emerging technologies that operate in public spaces.
The audience at AUVSI ranges from aviation and autonomy leaders and developers to policy professionals across state and federal government so my goal was to provide insight and exposure to the way product designers approach these problems.