ArduPilot Drone AI

Autonomous AI agent for ArduPilot multicopter/drone operations. Enables long-range FPV missions with AI as the controller.

Overview

ArduPilot Drone AI is an intelligent companion computer software that integrates with ArduPilot-based flight controllers to provide autonomous decision-making capabilities for multicopter drones. It handles:

• Autonomous Flight Control - Takeoff, navigation, landing with intelligent decision-making
• Battery Management - Real-time monitoring, flight time prediction, automatic RTL
• Safety Systems - Geofencing, failsafes, emergency procedures
• Mission Execution - Survey patterns, waypoint missions, orbit patterns
• FPV Integration - Long-range mission support with AI oversight

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    DRONE AI SYSTEM                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌─────────────────┐    MAVLink     ┌─────────────────────┐ │
│  │   ArduPilot     │◄──────────────►│   Companion Computer│ │
│  │   (Copter)      │                │   (AI Agent)        │ │
│  │                 │                │                     │ │
│  │  - Stabilization│                │  - Decision Making  │ │
│  │  - Attitude Ctrl│                │  - Battery Mgmt     │ │
│  │  - Basic Nav    │                │  - Safety/Geofence  │ │
│  │  - Failsafes    │                │  - Mission Planning │ │
│  └─────────────────┘                └─────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Features

Flight Control

• Arm/disarm with preflight checks
• Automated takeoff and landing
• GUIDED mode navigation
• Velocity control for FPV
• Multiple flight modes (LOITER, RTL, AUTO)

Battery Management

• Real-time voltage and current monitoring
• State of charge estimation
• Flight time prediction
• Automatic RTL on low battery
• Range calculation

Safety Systems

• Circular and polygon geofences
• Altitude limits
• Link loss failsafe
• GPS loss failsafe
• EKF health monitoring

Mission Planning

• Survey/lawn-mower patterns
• Circular orbit patterns
• Spiral patterns
• Waypoint missions
• Auto-continue navigation

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• ArduPilot SITL or compatible flight controller
• pymavlink

Installation

# Clone repository
cd /path/to/ardupilot-AI

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

Running with SITL

Terminal 1 - Start SITL:

cd ~/ardupilot
sim_vehicle.py -v ArduCopter --console --map

Terminal 2 - Start AI Agent:

cd /path/to/ardupilot-AI
source venv/bin/activate
python src/main.py --sitl

Basic Usage

import asyncio
from ai.agent import DroneAgent

async def main():
    # Create agent
    agent = DroneAgent(connection_string="udp:127.0.0.1:14550")

    # Start agent
    await agent.start()

    # Arm and takeoff
    await agent.arm_and_takeoff(altitude_m=30)

    # Go to position
    await agent.goto(lat=-33.87, lon=151.21, alt=50)

    # Return to launch
    await agent.rtl()

    # Stop agent
    await agent.stop()

asyncio.run(main())

Project Structure

ardupilot-AI/
├── src/
│   ├── mavlink/           # MAVLink communication
│   │   ├── connection.py  # Connection management
│   │   ├── messages.py    # Telemetry processing
│   │   └── commands.py    # Command interface
│   ├── flight/            # Flight control
│   │   ├── controller.py  # High-level control
│   │   └── navigation.py  # Navigation & patterns
│   ├── energy/            # Power management
│   │   ├── battery.py     # Battery monitoring
│   │   └── predictor.py   # Flight time prediction
│   ├── safety/            # Safety systems
│   │   ├── geofence.py    # Geofence management
│   │   └── failsafe.py    # Failsafe handling
│   ├── ai/                # AI agent
│   │   ├── agent.py       # Main agent
│   │   └── state_machine.py # Mission states
│   ├── config.py          # Configuration
│   └── main.py            # Entry point
├── config/
│   └── default.yaml       # Default configuration
├── tests/
│   └── test_modules.py    # Module tests
├── docs/                  # Documentation
├── requirements.txt
└── README.md

Configuration

Configuration is managed via YAML files. See config/default.yaml for all options.

Key settings:

mavlink:
  connection_string: "udp:127.0.0.1:14550"

flight:
  altitude_max_m: 120.0
  speed_cruise_ms: 10.0

battery:
  capacity_mah: 10000.0
  critical_soc_percent: 15.0

safety:
  geofence_radius_m: 1000.0
  link_loss_action: "rtl"

Testing

# Run all tests
python tests/test_modules.py

# Run with pytest
pytest tests/ -v

Documentation

• Architecture Guide - System design and components
• API Reference - Complete API documentation
• Configuration Guide - Configuration options
• Testing Guide - Testing with SITL

Supported Hardware

Flight Controllers

• Pixhawk series (1/2/4/5/6)
• Cube (Orange/Black/Blue)
• Kakute F7/H7
• Any ArduCopter-compatible FC

Companion Computers

• NVIDIA Jetson (Nano/Xavier/Orin)
• Raspberry Pi 4/5
• Intel NUC
• Any Linux system with Python 3.8+

Flight Modes

Mode	Value	Description
STABILIZE	0	Manual with self-leveling
ALT_HOLD	2	Altitude hold
AUTO	3	Autonomous mission
GUIDED	4	External control (AI)
LOITER	5	Position hold
RTL	6	Return to launch
LAND	9	Autonomous landing
POSHOLD	16	GPS position hold
SMART_RTL	21	Retrace path home

Safety Notes

• Always test in SITL before real flights
• Set appropriate geofence limits
• Configure battery failsafes
• Maintain visual line of sight for FPV
• Follow local regulations

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please read the contributing guidelines first.