Add ‘Skydio drone' to the list of things Apple Watch can control

The R1 drone by Skydio can now be directed by Apple Watch. — AFP Relaxnews

Previously, the Skydio RI fully autonomous drone could only be directed by its smartphone app. But this week an Apple Watch version of the application hit the market and now, you can program the R1 completely from your wrist.

The R1 drone by Skydio is one of the most advanced on the market. It's fully autonomous, which means that once you start it up via its corresponding smartphone application, the device and its 13 cameras will follow you wherever you choose to go or direct it to be.

Now, you can pilot the drone from your wrist by an Apple Watch. From here, you can select a subject to follow, stop or rotate R1, switch between cinematic modes like Follow, Orbit, or Side, and summon the device back.

The AI supercomputer that powers the drone, NVIDIA Jetson, can follow these general commands and then use its intelligence to make real-time decisions and soar through complex environments. You can then see the HD videos that it captured through the app on your wrist or phone and share them as easily as you would send a text.

With the launch of the app this week also came the availability of the R1 drone in select Apple stores. You can get it for US$1,999 (RM8,307) either through the Skydio site or Apple. The complementary applications for both watch and phone are free.

– AFP Relaxnews