Ubuntu powered Drones are not new. Erle Robotics showcased their Drones that run on top of Snappy Ubuntu Core sometime ago. But the ones unveiled by UAVIA recently are slightly different.
How are UAVIA drones different?
During the TechCrunch Disrupt event held in London a few days ago, UAVIA unveiled a new generation of completely remote controlled drones, powered by Snappy Ubuntu Core. "This will be the first time that 100% remotely operable drones will be available in the market - and they’ve been built with Ubuntu under the hood."
Drones in its current forms are pretty cumbersome machines which also requires the operator to be physically present at the location. Flight ranges are also pretty limited. UAVIA lifts these technical limitations by using its Cloud Control technology as well as charging stations dispatched directly on field.
"This enables remote sensing and surveillance without any human intervention on field, dramatically reducing costs for companies in the need of surveillance or technical monitoring on industrial sites. This is the first step towards full autonomy which will see the drone market explode."Maarten Ectors, Vice President Internet of Things at Canonical: "For drones to become mainstream, we need more of them to become autonomous and we need to facilitate their maintenance. Ubuntu Core is key to unlocking the full drone potential. It brings onboard intelligence to help drones progress towards autonomous flight thanks to sense and avoid technologies. It facilitates maintenance by making remote software deployments secure, effective and failsafe. UAVIA drones have banked on these attributes building their entire service on Ubuntu on-device, on server and on the pilot software!"
Further reading at Ubuntu Insights | Related: Dronecode Project by Linux Foundation