After you first get a Skydio , you need to download the SKYDIO APP to your phone. Like other drones, you link it with your phone by wifi. With the app, you can fly manually or have Skydio track you, both with obstacle avoidance. Flying with the phone is handy because you can see on your screen what the drone videocam sees. To begin tracking, tap the X when it finds your image on the screen. As soon as it locks onto you, a ring begins spinning around you and your trike to indicate tracking is activated. Then put the phone in your shirt pocket or a frame pouch while you ride. It is awkward to make any changes while moving, Pressing the wrong place on the touchscreen can send Skydio where you don't want it to go, such as from 16 feet behind to 135 feet to the side.
The BEACON is the device made for riding. You can operate its various functions with one hand and quickly drop it into a pocket when you need both hands on the trike. It can be used to launch and land the Skydio either from the ground or with your other hand. Actions you might want to perform while in motion are changing tracking angle, distance, and altitude. You can also initiate orbit, hover, and steering (manual control). One big advantage of the Beacon over the phone is that it adds GPS for tracking, so your range is extended considerably.
The CONTROLLER works much like a standard drone with joysticks and is for manual flight control. (Obstacle avoidance is still active during manual flight.) The controller's purpose is cinematography, not tracking, but can still be useful for ride videos. You can film the riding environment while stopped or have a second person shoot the clips of your ride in ways you can't when you are being tracked. The Controller also lets you lower the angle of the camera from level to straight down or to 45 degrees above the horizon. It also lets you set the sensitivity of various commands, so you can make slow, smooth turns or climbs. Your phone is clamped onto the Controller and the two work in tandem. They are hardwired together with a short cable, so turn off the phone's wifi to keep out unwanted signals.
