What do the lights on Skydio X10 indicate?

Published: Updated:

  1. Skydio
  2. Skydio X10
  3. Flying Skydio X10

The lights provide information about Skydio X10 status, orientation, and heading while on the ground and in flight. The lights are intended to communicate information and are not meant for illumination.

Configuring Light Settings

Skydio X10 navigation lights (RGB) are enabled by default. To disable these lights, or enable strobe or infrared lights, navigate to the Lighting menu under Global Settings.

Step 1 - Select the Global Settings menu CS_App3_media_UI_gate_screen_anno.png
Step 2 - Select Lighting CS_X10_media_UI_global_settings_lighting.png

Step 3 - Toggle RGB

RGB lights are enabled by default.

Three options will appear in the drop-down menu:

    • Navigation (default)
    • Police
    • Emergency

Navigation (default)

    • Red - two in front (framing camera) 
    • Green - two in the rear
    • Blue - all lights during initialization 

Disabled

    • Lights will be blue during the initial boot sequence and will turn off when the drone is ready to fly

CS_X10_media_UI_emergency_lights2_rounded.png

CS_X10_media_UI_lighting_menu_cropped.png

Public Safety Lights

[caution] This Public Safety Lights option is only for strict use by authorized users comprising public safety first responders and emergency personnel performing a public safety mission. When operating in airspace viewable to the public, unauthorized users must refrain from using these police or emergency lights. Failure to comply may result in violations of local laws, regulations and ordinations and could subject the non-compliant user to civil or criminal penalties, fines, or other legal consequences. [/caution]

Police

When enabled, the front and back RGB lights on the drone will flash red and blue and alternate colors between the right and left arms. 

    • Red: Front left, back right
    • Blue: Front right, back left

Emergency

When enabled, the front and back RGB lights on the drone will flash red and white and alternate colors between the right and left arms. 

  • Red: Front left, back right
  • White: Front right, back left

CS_X10_media_UI_emergency_lights3_cropped.png

CS_X10_media_UI_emergency_lights4_cropped.png

X10_SAFETY_LIGHTS_BLUE_AND_RED_BLINKING_OPPOSING_F8F8F8.gif

Police

X10_SAFETY_LIGHTS_BLUE_AND_WHITE_BLINKING_OPPOSING_F8F8F8.gif

Emergency

Skydio X10 Light Behavior

[info] Click on the image of the drone to expand the image/gif. [/info]

Function

Color and Pattern

Initial boot sequence

Blue radial blinking

 

X10_BLUE_RADIAL_BLINKING.gif

Grounded not connected to a controller

Blue breathing

 

X10_BLUE_BREATHING_F8F8F8.gif

Grounded connected to a controller

Blue solid

 

X10_BLUE_SOLID.gif

Launching

Blue blinking

 

X10_BLUE_BLINKING_F8F8F8.gif

Inflight front orientation

Red solid

 

X10_RED_FRONT_GREEN_REAR_SOLID_V1.png

Inflight rear orientation

Green solid

 

X10_RED_FRONT_GREEN_REAR_SOLID_V2_F8F8F8.png

Inflight obstacle avoidance reduced or off

Yellow solid

 

X10_YELLOW_SOLID.gif

Returning not connected to a controller

Yellow blinking

 

X10_YELLOW_BLINKING_F8F8F8.gif

Landing obstacle avoidance on

Blue blinking

 

X10_BLUE_BLINKING.gif

Landing obstacle avoidance off

 

Obstacle Avoidance is enabled until X10 is ~10 ft (3 m) above the ground. At the 10 ft (3 m) threshold X10 will:

    • briefly pause
    • turn off obstacle avoidance
    • continue to land (lights will flash yellow)

Yellow blinking

 

X10_YELLOW_BLINKING_F8F8F8.gif

Emergency landing obstacle avoidance disabled

Red blinking

 

X10_RED_BLINKING.gif

Error occurred during the software update

    • wait 10-20 minutes, and then restart the drone if the error state persists.

Blue blinking on opposing arms

 

X10_BLUE_BLINKING_OPPOSING_F8F8F8.gif

Software Updates

Update Status

Color and Pattern
Initializing X10_GREEN_SOLID.gif
0-25% X10_YELLOW_BLINKING_0_TO_25_PERCENT_FFFFFF.gif
25% - 50% X10_YELLOW_BLINKING_25_TO_50_PERCENT_FFFFFF.gif
50% - 75% X10_YELLOW_BLINKING_50_TO_75_PERCENT_FFFFFF.gif
75% - 100% X10_YELLOW_BLINKING_75_TO_100_PERCENT_FFFFFF.gif
Complete X10_YELLOW_SOLID_FFFFFF.gif
Error X10_RED_BLINKING_F8F8F8.gif
  •  

Media Sync

If you purchased and set up Media Sync (additional license required), your Skydio X10 will begin syncing media when connected to power.

Function

Color and Pattern

Media Sync triggered

Blue changes to green
(this will happen once, then the lights will stay green)

X10_BLUE_CHANGES_TO_GREEN.gif

Searching for a wireless network and connecting to Skydio Cloud (this should take 2-30 seconds)

Green breathing pattern

 

X10_GREEN_BREATHING_F8F8F8.gif

Connected to a wireless network

Green solid

 

X10_GREEN_SOLID.gif

Media is uploading

 

[note] If the drone is connected to an Ethernet cable instead of a power cable, the drone will upload media to the cloud but the lights will not change to green. Visit the Fleet page in Skydio cloud to confirm that media is uploading. [/note]

Green chasing pattern

 

X10_GREEN_CHASING.gif

Media sync complete

Green solid

 

X10_GREEN_SOLID.gif

 

 Skydio, Inc. A0473

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