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3D Robotics only open source the flight controller hardware and software and ground control software. delivering a safe drone platform requires a lot more hardw
by steve19 12y ago
3D Robotics only open source the flight controller hardware and software and ground control software. delivering a safe drone platform requires a lot more hardware (the aircraft itself, camera and radio gear) and firmware (camera, gimbal, speed controller radio gear).
- erkkie 12y agoTechnically the ground control software is a separate open source project, also the px4 project is looking to release a open hardware esc (electronic speed controller) soon as well (https://pixhawk.org/modules/pixhawk_esc https://pixhawk.org/modules/pixhawk_esc). Agreed though, the magic is in the total sum.
- jjwiseman 12y agoMy guess, though, is that as the industry matures, low-level components like ESC & radio firmwares are not really going to be where most value gets added. Software is definitely going to eat the drone world, and it's going to be at the higher levels: First it will be flight software with amazing new features (VSLAM, sense and avoid, swarm control) and then once that's more mature, it will be the operations-level super-ground-control-system stuff.