How Skydio makes its second-gen video drones

Many companies rely on overseas manufacturing, but Skydio makes its own drones at its headquarters in Redwood City, California.

The $1,000 Skydio 2 drone has four propellers, six navigation cameras, a belly-mounted removeable camera and a 4K main camera to shoot video.

Skydio CEO Adam Bry stands by one fo the company's Skydio 2 drone. Drone manufacturing isn't as mature a process as making phones or PCs, he says.

A robot calibrates a Skydio 2 drone's orientation controls in a room papered with QR codes.

A Skydio employee blasts a Skydio 2 drone with a leaf blower to see if it can withstand strong winds.

Skydio's headquarters in Redwood City, California, shows off earlier drone models. At right is the the first product that went on sale in 2018.

Before manufacturing comes design. Skydio's development lab is decorated with remote-control model aircraft hanging on the walls and ceiling.

A short production line is at work building Skydio 2 drones.

Skydio is a drone AI navigation company at its core, which means software is a crucial part of the company's work. Programmers get giant 4K TV screens to use as monitors if they want.

A Skydio employee stamps a company logo on to an R2 drone joystick controller.

The Skydio 2 beacon controller

The Skydio 2 joystick controller has a spring-loaded clasp for a phone.

The Skydio 2 drone