One of the largest equipment rental companies in the U.S., Sunbelt Rentals, has become the first rental company in its class to offer contractors Skydio drones.
Through a collaboration with tech deployment solutions provider Velociti, Sunbelt began offering the Skydio X10 drone on September 15 for customers in markets including construction, engineering, infrastructure inspections and energy.
Unveiled in September 2023, the midsize quadcopter Skydio X10 drone offers a top speed of 45 mph, 40 minutes of max flight time and a deployment time under 40 seconds. The drone comes in at 4.7 pounds and 13.8 inches long.
A six-camera visual navigation system allows the X10 to operate without a GPS connection and fly almost anywhere, according to Skydio.
The X10 features Skydio Autonomy, on-board predictive artificiaI intelligence that allows the drone to react in real time to complex environments and eliminate blind spots. Skydio says the X10 can avoid obstacles as small as a half-inch wire. The Skydio NightSense add-on extends the X10’s autonomous flight abilities to low-light environments.
The NDAA-complaint X10 can be fitted with three different camera-sensor combos from the factory, including radiometric thermal cameras, wide-angle cameras and flashlights. The VT300-Z sensor package offers a telephoto lens capable of detecting vehicles at 7.5 miles and humans at 8,200 feet away.
Founded in 2014 in Redwood City, California, Skydio launched its first drone, the R1, in 2018. All Skydio’s drones are assembled in the U.S., and some of its customers include the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, Caltrans, Ohio DOT and Alaska DOT.
