Skydio X2/X2D

Designed from the ground up to bring the performance of a heavy drone to a backpack portable device. Weighing under 3 pounds with a 13.8 inch length, the Skydio X2 folds into the most compact size of any drone with similar sensors, truly enabling one-person operations. This ruggedized, portable airframe is ready for autonomous flight day or night. Serves well for situational awareness, asset inspection, and base defense.

There are two variants of the Skydio X2, one is enabled for online connectivity, while the Skydio X2D is 100% offline to accommodate the military needs. For both products I was responsible for overseeing the app experience and conducting user research for the Enterprise Controller.

Due to time and resource constraints, the Enterprise Controller app utilized the Skydio 2 mobile app as a foundation while necessary features were added to accommodate end user needs. These included but were not limited to:

  • Workflows for both online and offline updates

  • MGRS maps, ability to reduce or turn off obstacle avoidance, channel options, and menu navigation with a D-pad

  • ATAK integration

Over the course of the Enterprise Controller’s development, user research was conducted to ensure the controller met the end user’s needs. The main takeaways were:

  • Controller needed a clamshell cover to help ruggedize it and protect the screen when thrown into a soldier’s molle pouch.

  • D-pad needed as most users would be wearing gloves, especially in colder conditions- impacting touch screen ability.

  • Overall weight to be kept under 2lbs to minimize hands strain and fatigue