ArduPilot
ArduPilot is the leading open-source autopilot software platform supporting fixed-wing aircraft, multirotor drones, helicopters, rovers, and boats, providing flight control, mission planning, and telemetry capabilities. As a hard skill it requires configuring the flight controller hardware (Pixhawk, Cube), tuning PID gains for the specific airframe, using Mission Planner or QGroundControl for mission design and parameter management, and understanding failsafe behavior and safety interlocks. Design engineers apply ArduPilot when building custom UAVs for industrial inspection, aerial surveying, or payload delivery applications where commercial autopilot platforms lack the flexibility or openness required.
