Drone maker hurt by US-China rift, opening door to US rivals

Bry holding the Skydio R1 flying camera drone while being interviewed in Redwood City, California. US political and security concerns about the world’s dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. — AP

Skateboarders, surfers and mountain bikers used to be the target customers for California startup Skydio, a maker of high-end drones that can home in on people and capture their movements on video all by themselves. Now US police officers, firefighters and soldiers are interested in the self-flying machines.

That’s partly because US national security concerns about the world’s dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have upended the market for small drones and opened the door to lesser-known companies pitching applications for government agencies and big businesses.