Skydio, one of the nation’s leading UAV surveillance companies, has just added a new wrinkle to its state-of-the art X10 aerial drone.  The San Mateo, CA-based firm first introduced the aircraft last fall for use in a variety of commercial niches, from infrastructure inspections to public safety.  The NYPD quickly scooped up a dozen or more X10s for use in its expanded law enforcement operations, including tactical support to its SWAT teams and enhanced pursuit of fleeing criminal suspects.

The upgraded X10 includes “Night Sense,” an attachment that enhances the six high-resolution navigation cameras already found on the Skydio drone.  The attachment allows the X10 to fly in high EMI and GPS-denied environments with limited or no lighting.  It’s ideal for extending the scope of aerial surveillance, day and night, and according to Skydio, represents a dramatic improvement over the thermal imaging and infrared camera systems currently in use in the drone industry.

“NightSense enables operators to fly with confidence 24/7—no matter how much light is available,” said Jason Tillman, Director of Product Marketing at Skydio. “This is a first in the drone world. No other drone can provide obstacle avoidance in complete darkness. It’s only available on the Skydio X10.”

Tillman says Night Sense will be especially useful to law enforcement agencies, which often conduct their drone surveillance, pursuit and rescue operations from the late evening to the early morning hours.  In addition, the enhancement will allow construction firms, oil and gas companies and power agencies to extend the scope and duration of their inspection operations beyond regular working hours to reduce their costs and increase safety for workers and consumers alike.

Tillman adds that Night Sense can also augment daytime operations by allowing drone operators to work with greater confidence that potential obstacles and interruptions can be avoided.  “Drone autonomy is useful in every type of mission.  Knowing you can focus on the mission at hand and not about crashing into trees, buildings, or other obstacles enables operators to complete their tasks faster, more accurately and with less stress,” he says.

Skydio’s X10 drone already comes with many impressive features, including a spatial AI engine that allows for real-time environment mapping and fully automated onboard 3D modeling capability.  The drone is foldable and fits inside a large backpack, while its modular design includes four payload bays for replaceable gimbal sensor packages.

The X10 also boasts a versatile airframe that allows it to transition easily between different kinds of operations, and the drone’s IP55 weather rating permits stable flying in heavy wind and rain.

Skydio’s promotion of its X10 is part of a larger shift in the company away from consumer drones toward commercial aircraft with cutting edge capabilities.  Last August the company phased out several of its popular hobbyist drones.  The company began its shift toward the enterprise sector in 2020 with the introduction of the X2 self-flying drone, a predecessor of the X10.

“Our drones are making the core industries that our civilization runs on — public safety, transportation, energy, construction, and defense — safer and more efficient,” Skydio CEO Adam Bry says. “The impact we’re having with our enterprise and public sector customers has become so compelling that it demands nothing less than our full focus and attention.”