How to use the Scout Skill on Skydio X2E

Scout

Skydio Scout flight skill simplifies the tracking of moving subjects to offer real-time situational awareness. Scout allows you to follow and track a GPS position at long range, with the ability to adjust and reposition your drone. Skydio Scout supports GPS tracking of the Skydio Enterprise Controller and Skydio Beacon.

To initiate Scout:

Step 1 - Select Begin Flight and launch

Step 2 - Select Scout from the skills menu

Step 3 - Tap to track 

• • Skydio Enterprise Controller
  • Skydio Beacon - will only display if the X2 is connected to the Beacon

To pair Skydio Beacon (optional):

• • power on Skydio X2 - press and hold the battery power button for three seconds

• • power on Skydio Beacon - press and hold the Skydio logo button for three seconds
  • connect Beacon to the drone using the USB-C cable
  • a successful pairing will display Connected to Skydio-XXXX

• • Beacon controls are unlocked by default
  • to lock Beacon controls, select the Device settings menu, and the Beacon tab
  • locking Beacon is persistent across flights but not power cycles

Read the Skydio Beacon User Guide for detailed information.

Step 4 - To stop Scout GPS tracking, select the red X in the top right corner

Ignore Subject Height - 

• • disabled (default) - the drone will incorporate the vertical changes in altitude of the tracked GPS position
  • enabled - the drone will ignore the vertical changes in altitude of the tracked GPS position and maintain the set altitude unless the pilot commands the throttle

Positioning Behavior -

Set the drone’s behavior to automatically reposition itself to match changes in the subject’s direction of motion, the drone will maintain its position relative to the tracked Skydio Enterprise Controller or Beacon.

• Relative - X2 will stay at a constant angle relative to the direction of motion of the tracked GPS
• Fixed - X2 will stay at a constant angle relative to the world

Poor GPS Behavior - select what your X2 will do if it encounters a weak GPS signal:

• • Cancel Tracking X2 will stop tracking
  • Wait for GPS (default) X2 will hover until tracked GPS is regained

Range Limit - toggle on (default) or off, the slider allows you to choose a maximum range the drone can fly

Maximum Range - 

• • 33 ft (10 m) to 1969 feet (600 m)
  • default maximum range value is 246 ft (75 m)
  • Skydio X2 can not manually fly or track past the maximum range
  • if the inflight position is beyond the Maximum Range value, X2 will attempt to fly towards the tracked subject at 22 mph (10 m/s) until it is within 33 feet (10 meters) of the Maximum Range and slow until it is within range

Automatically track Beacon -

• • toggle on, and X2 will automatically start tracking Beacon when the Scout skill is selected and there is a strong GPS signal

Show subject in AR - toggle on (default) or off and the AR marker will display over the tracked subject. This allows the operator to more easily orient themselves to the tracked GPS subject while in flight. 

• • the AR Marker is red when the drone is close to the GPS subject and purple when it is furthest away
  • the AR marker displays above the tracked subject at the height of the drone

Show Find subject button - toggle on and the Find tracked subject button will display on the fly screen.

• • the drone will yaw and the gimbal will pitch to locate the tracked GPS subject (Skydio Enterprise Controller or Beacon)
  • Relative positioning - selecting Find will prompt the drone to override the yaw and gimbal pitch until the tracked subject is located