LinuxDrone Project BeaglePilot - Joint project with ArduPilot?

[vmayoral]

Hi everyone,

This is Víctor Mayoral Vilches, I recently got in touch with this project (LinuxDrone) and from the very beginning i loved your approach and the things being done in here. A bit before i got in touch with you (over the last two-three months) a group of students and I have been incubating BeaglePilot, a project that had similar goals to LinuxDrone. Our aim was to submit a GSOC proposal that would allow us to work this summer on this project.

Our proposal so far can be viewed here. Since I was not aware of LinuxDrone at the time we started planning with ArduPilot in mind however after seeing your progress and the projection i would really love to propose a joint effort (ArduPilot - LinuxDrone) to bring a great AutoPilot into Linux-based computers.

We already have the support of BeagleBoard and Andrew Tridgell from ArduPilot has offered himself as a mentor.
We need more mentors and I would really like to have some of you in there. Anybody interested?

If so, please inform here.
It'll be pretty awesome if the LinuxDrone and ArduPilot could join efforts.

Bests,

Víctor.

 

[osnwt]

I can not speak for all LinuxDrone team, so here are just my *personal* thoughts:

• The LinuxDrone project has different goals and approaches. We have C++ core, Xenomai real-time system, json/bson settings and object formats, javascript scripting and embedded web configurator. We have no yet flight code, but we are going to provide a solid foundation for writing modules and expect new people will join and write or port actual modules. And moreover, we don't aim at UAV *only*, our system is like a general-purpose real-time platform with easy development and scripting. And with, of course, easy interfacing to ROS and other systems. Your project seems to be a port of ArduPilot/PixHawk/etc to Linux for particular CPU (using PRUSS). While ArduPilot has a working flight code, I see no other advantages of that solution comparing to our ideas. Actually, using OpenPilot codebase, we already have done what you are going to do - we demostrated already the OP firmware running as a Xenomai application. But we got rid of all OP code later and started from the ground using all system anvantages and without many limitations.
• I think it could be nice to join efforts if you like. We have no flight code as said, so if someone ports ArduPilot modules to our sustem, we both win: they - by using our platform, we - by having more people to write actual modules.
• I am afraid, we have no time to be GSoC mentors at the moment. Also as said above, these two projects have quite different goals and approaches. I see no way to mix both within the single GSoC project. But I agree that would be awesome if we join efforts in the way I explained above.