Open Source to Revolutionize Drone Field

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With a handful of companies dominating the drone industry, e.g. DJI and Amazon, it is difficult for any single company to compete against overwhelming market share. In today’s drone landscape, an ecosystem of companies is working together to compete, supported by the US government and powered by open source. No single aerospace or drone company can do this alone, but together there’s every indication of a new chapter in drone development and competition.

Auterion, a drone software platform built for enterprise that’s based on open source software and adopted by the Linux Foundation is launching an open source initiative.

The company’s cofounder Kevin Sartori told zdnet.com: “Modern drones are increasingly software-defined and are comparable to flying servers. Auterion is following the Red Hat model by providing an enterprise operating system for drones based on open source software, and is seeing enterprise and government customers alike making the transition from drone solutions based on proprietary software to the open source model.” 

Today, this software platform powers the drones of companies such as GE Aviation. Their partner, Quantum Systems used open source technology to show the world what scalable medical deliveries in urban areas will soon look like by delivering COVID-19 test samples over downtown Munich to a hospital outside the city. Last year the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced a $2 million project with Auterion to enhance its open source drone software, a project that has since been renewed by an extension contract. 

He added: “Auterion’s Enterprise PX4 platform will help standardize the operating system for different drone models, with the aim to one day power the Army’s entire fleet of small unmanned aircraft.”