R1 Drone Can Autonomously Follow People and Drones

With machine learning becoming more sophisticated by the day, autonomous technology has come a long way in such a short period of time. In the case of the R1 drone by the startup Skydio, not only is it able to follow humans for those epic aerial shots while doing extreme stunts, it can now also follow cars around.

As TechCrunch notes, the R1 offers incredibly exciting potential with regards to its core technology and the plans that the developers have for their drone. The makers intentionally built and designed the drone to offer the cinematographic results they may have been waiting for, especially for those who might not have access to skilled drone pilots or are not pilots themselves.

When the drone first launched, its biggest selling point was being able to track humans and shoot advanced video content without compromising quality. This basically meant that after sending it up to the sky, the users would have access to their own personal aerial camera that will follow them around without the need for constant instructions.

In terms of what the drone can do with regards to its new capabilities to follow vehicles, it’s worth noting that the drone can only go about 25Mph at the fastest. As such, it can’t be expected to keep up with race cars, for example.

On the other hand, a ride through wild terrain or jumping off sand dunes is something that the R1 can easily shoot and record. The only thing that users need to do is choose the right order of commands, Engadget notes.

The use of this drone might also be prohibited in urban areas, depending on the location. Many cities have strict policies when it comes to the use of drones, especially ones that are simply following a particular person or vehicle around.