A Survey of Open-Source UAV Autopilots

Abstract

This survey provides a comprehensive comparison of prominent open-source unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) autopilots, focusing on their hardware compatibility, software features, and communication protocols. Additionally, it assesses the impact of these autopilots on research and education by examining their potential for integration with companion computers, compatibility with robot operating system (ROS) middleware and the MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the availability of simulation-in-the-loop (SITL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation tools. The paper concludes with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these leading opensource autopilots.