America’s Answer to China’s Drone Dominance

Skydio's Vision and Leadership00:01

Skydio operates with the concept of render to reality, where many products begin as seemingly crazy sci-fi concepts. Adam Bry is the co-founder and CEO of Skydio. The company sits on the first floor of its headquarters building where hardware development and testing occurs.

Skydio is the largest US drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight. The company's drones function more like flying robots than traditional drones.

X10 Manufacturing Overview01:01

The Skydio X10 is manufactured in Hayward, California. The X10 comprises thousands of individual components and hundreds of parts assembled in a 70,000 square foot facility.

One of the most important features of the X10 is its ability to operate in rain, achieved through waterproofing critical components using a process called nano coating.

Arm Assembly Process01:31

One of the first steps in assembly involves putting together the arms. The arms contain multiple antennas, motors, and lights. The two halves of each arm are exposed to extremely high frequency vibration, which melts the plastic in a controlled way and fuses the pieces together. Motor wires are hand soldered onto the power board.

Chassis and Chest Assembly02:04

After attaching the arms and all electrical connections to the main chassis, the chest is attached. The chest houses three bottom-facing navigation cameras along with a downward-facing range sensor. The cameras are assembled onto a vibration-isolated frame before being assembled into the chest.