San Mateo-based tech firm Skydio showcased its innovative drone technologies during the Ascend 2025 event yesterday in Aptos. Groundbreaking tools that can operate as first responders in harmful environments were displayed to revolutionize how California's emergency services approach critical situations. "The beauty of drones as a first responder, DFR, is that these tools can be used to go into places where it could be dangerous for a human," Skydio's Mira Marquez told NBC Bay Area.
Striving beyond their current offering, Skydio will introduce two new flying robots at the event, expanding the potential uses of drone technology and complementing their X10 quadcopter, which has executed over 500,000 customer missions worldwide since its introduction in 2023. According to Skydio's official blog, the newly announced R10 is designed for indoor use, delivering the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of consumer drones combined with enhanced features for public safety operations. The X10, in comparison, has marked a significant advancement with its Dock system, enabling quick deployment and valuable live streaming to first responders en route to emergencies. Despite the new models, their practical battery capacity of ~30-32 minutes of flight usually operates within a 3-mile radius or less.
The R10 is touted as the first indoor American drone to marry consumer drone simplicity and affordability with the robust capabilities needed for public safety missions, featuring onboard lighting and two-way audio communications. With its diminutive size of 10” x 10” and weight of 1.7 lbs., the R10 promises to be a game-changer for police work, allowing for quick and relatively risk-free intelligence gathering. In Skydio's vision, the R10 and X10 will work in tandem, providing outdoor surveillance, while the former aids in indoor situations. This synergy aims to reshape how first responders and law enforcement handle various scenarios, especially where sending an R10 first could mean the difference between safety and risk for officers and civilians alike.
But Skydio's ambitions span beyond just public safety. With the addition of the F10, a fixed-wing drone capable of over 80mph speeds and flight times surpassing 90 minutes, the company targets broader applications, such as rapid rural response and long linear infrastructure inspections. As Skydio puts it, the F10 would leverage advanced autonomy to provide vast coverage without additional manpower. Expected to become available for early access customers in the first half of 2026, the F10 aims to address challenges in space and distance that presently hinder emergency and surveillance operations in expansive and rural territories.
