[Update: Our 2021 Axon Roadshow has concluded for the year]
We have exciting news for our public safety and first responders customers. Skydio is coming to a city near you -- and soon. We’re making it easier than ever for public safety UAS operators around the country to learn about and experience Skydio products first hand by taking S2, X2 and 3D Scan around the country with our partner Axon on the Axon Roadshow. [Update: Our 2021 Axon Roadshow has concluded for the year, stay tuned to find out what we are doing for 2022]
The Axon Roadshow started in June with its first stop in LA and will run through December. There will be 200 total stops split between 3 trucks within 3 regions. Remarkably, the Roadshow will reach every state in the continental United States. The dates for each stop will be confirmed 4-6 weeks out. Each stop on the Roadshow is about 4 hours long and will typically be from 10am to 2pm local time.
"Skydio is furthering its strategic partnership with Axon and excited to sponsor the first ever Axon Roadshow, delivering its world-class Autonomous sUAS solutions to the doorsteps of Law Enforcement Agencies across the US. The Skydio Team is eager to meet with all first responders and showcase our life-changing, US made autonomous solutions that offer superior performance compared against Chinese offerings in the marketplace today. We can't wait to meet you and look forward to seeing you on the road!" - Trent Hall Skydio VP, Global Channel & Alliances
Drones are a game changing solution for public safety
Drones save lives. It’s a fact. A drone can respond to dangerous scenes in seconds, providing critical information to first responders and making our world safer. From search and rescue missions, to situational awareness in emergency response, to de-escalation and documenting critical evidence, drones provide incredibly valuable aerial intelligence to public safety operators. It isn’t surprising that drones are such a hot technology in the first responder and public safety community. Not all drones and manufacturers are equal, though, and some drones are more useful than others.
Skydio drones are more useful and smarter than ever
Every Skydio drone comes equipped with Skydio Autonomy, a groundbreaking computer-vision flight autonomy AI that avoids obstacles in every direction and automates complex flight operations such as orbiting a scene or tracking a subject. Thanks to this incredible intelligence, Skydio pilots can confidently perform missions in environments that were previously inaccessible without jeopardizing their drone or imposing cognitive overload on the pilot. When coupled with 3D Scan - Skydio’s adaptive scanning software - Skydio drones can fully automate thankless, time consuming and error prone tasks such as documenting evidence capture. The time savings are unprecedented.
Upcoming Skydio integrations with Axon Air will live stream drone video and make evidence management seamless
This partnership with Axon and the Axon Roadshow will continue to highlight the future end-to-end solution that will enable law enforcement agencies to complement the intelligence gathered by body camera sensors on the ground with aerial imagery and footage collected by Skydio’s next-generation drones. Smarter drones powered by AI-powered autonomous flight technology will lead to faster response times, increased situational awareness and higher quality data for evidentiary purposes. Skydio’s autonomous drones integrated with the Axon platform will provide incident command access to live-streamed footage from ground and aerial perspectives, giving leaders a comprehensive picture of the scene. They will also provide agencies with an easy way to manage and share evidentiary imagery from drones in the same way they do today with body camera footage.
Not just technology, we support agencies to scale their program every step of the way
With Autonomy, Skydio creates a paradigm shift in how public safety agencies view the role of sUAS in their operations. Our experts have codified a framework called the ‘Skydio 5 A’s’ that outlines five specific categories of capabilities/requirements to have a full end-state operation as commonly envisioned for automated and ubiquitous UAS deployment.
- Aircraft
- Advanced Autonomy
- Approvals
- Aircraft Management
- Airspace Awareness
Obtaining Approvals for Beyond visual line of sight operations (BVLOS)
BVLOS operations are critically important for the public safety community, enabling first responders to fly beyond visual range, cover greater distances, collect more data with fewer deployments, and keep operators out of dangerous situations. In an age defined by manual drones without limited ability to sense and avoid stationary obstacles, it has always been difficult to obtain BVLOS authorizations.
Skydio can assist with the process of receiving approval for your agency to conduct this new class of operations. We have an incredible track record of breakthrough regulatory advancement achieved in close partnership with the FAA and our customers. For example, we worked with Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) to obtain a first-of-a-kind Tactical BVLOS (TBVLOS) COA enabling flights beyond line of sight in emergency situations. TBVLOS enables true BVLOS; there is no requirement to use visual observers. Since then, more than 200 agencies have received TBVLOS approval based on the safety case that Skydio developed. As a result, whether performing search and rescue, de-escalating hostile situations, or responding to national disasters, first responders are better equipped to protect the public.
In the drone inspection context, we helped the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) secure a groundbreaking BVLOS waiver for bridge inspection with the Skydio 2. This state-wide approval to fly Skydio drones BVLOS to inspect bridges marked a new era in unmanned flight by breaking barriers that have traditionally imposed costs and limited the efficacy of drones. Like TBVLOS for first responders, this waiver enables NCDOT to conduct BVLOS activities without the use of visual observers or expensive technology designed to detect manned aircraft.
Our team of regulatory experts are the former heads of the nation’s leading drone programs, including the U.S. Department of Justice, CVPD, and major enterprise programs that can assist in getting critical approvals through the finish line. Our Director of Regulatory Affairs, Jenn Player, is a BVLOS pioneer, having supported some of the nation’s most advanced drone programs. Jenn is also serving on the FAA’s new aviation rulemaking committee on BVLOS, paving the way for a future where drones can play their essential role without the need for special approvals.
Skydio’s experts can train your team on the fundamentals of BVLOS operations in the public safety context. Former CVPD Captain Fritz Reber pioneered many of the tactics critical for conducting safe and effective public safety BVLOS operations. Fritz and other experts at Skydio can provide those same lessons to your team, giving you and your leadership peace of mind. When you need to fly BVLOS, you need to fly Skydio--and work with our industry leading regulatory team.
Drone security and trustworthiness
Another regulatory hurdle recently faced by many of the manual drones on the market is related to cyber security and supply chain security. DOJ has advised state and local public safety agencies to ensure cyber security and supply chain security when developing UAS programs. Ultimately, the only way to trust the security of a digital device – including a drone – is to trust the company that developed it and the legal framework in which they operate. It is for this reason that we take pride in designing, assembling and supporting drones in the United States. We develop all our software in house and all the critical data processing components are sourced in the US or allied nations. In addition to providing a high level of security protection against data exfiltration or compromise of command-and-control by nefarious actors, Skydio X2 meets the highest levels of supply chain security demanded by the US government, including compliance with National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This means that when first responders take X2 on a mission, they can have confidence that they have full control over their data.
The public must trust the technology, and the way it is used.
Consistent with our commitment to the responsible use of drones, we worked closely with DRONERESPONDERS to develop “The Five Cs: Principles on the Responsible Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies.” The “Five C’s” offer clear, actionable guidance on five fundamental concepts critical to the success of every public safety drone program:
- Community Engagement and Transparency
- Civil Liberties and Privacy Protection
- Common Operating Procedures
- Clear Oversight and Accountability
- Cybersecurity
Agencies that implement the Five C’s place their program on a strong foundation, demonstrating their commitment to the communities they serve and the liberties we cherish.
If you are ready to join the next phase for public safety intelligence and want to learn more about what Skydio and Axon has to offer, don’t hesitate to contact us.
