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7 Airware has launched an operating system for commercial unmanned aircraft that combines hardware, software and cloud- based services. The Aerial Information Platform (AIP) is a two-tier architecture that separates the flight-critical software from application code by using separate hardware on the aircraft so that developers don’t have to anticipate every contingency in order to write application-specific software for safe flight. The AIP middleware, based on a real- time operating system, is said to ensure safe flight by managing control conflicts and also provides a programming interface. The software has been developed using the DO-178 avionics safety standard as well as the MISRA-C rules for safety-critical automotive software. The AIP software, running on Airware’s hardware, will allow companies to capture and analyse aerial data for a wide range of commercial applications, including infrastructure inspection, land management, public safety, environmental monitoring, surveying and mapping, precision agriculture, search and rescue, and wildlife conservation. The AIP integrates an operating system for autonomous flight with geo-fencing, which stops the craft going outside a preset boundary. US industrial giant GE will become Airware’s first large enterprise customer to develop commercial aircraft applications for its customers. Initial AIP test users include Delta Drone in France, Altavian in Florida, and other US companies Allied Drones and Drone America. “We have been testing Airware’s product for various applications in France, including mining surveys, precision agriculture, industrial inspection and forestry,” said Christian Viguié, chairman and CEO of Delta Drone. Airware has launched the first three components of AIP – Flight Core, which includes a hardware controller and software for autonomous flight; Ground Control Station Software, for aircraft flight planning, control and monitoring; and Configuration Manager, software that enables operators to configure Airware and third-party hardware and software for use across a range of aircraft and applications. The Airware flight control system works with multi-rotor and fixed- wing aircraft, and provides autonomous flight including take-off and landing, intelligent contingency detection and management, camera trigger control and onboard data logging. Later this year Airware plans to launch App Core, a Linux-based computer on an aircraft to run the user’s applications. App Core is based around an Intel quad-core processor running the Ubuntu Linux operating system, and provides a software development kit to allow developers to create apps that can connect with the Flight Core, Ground Control Station Software, Airware Cloud, and third-party hardware and software. It will power image processing, path planning, vision-based navigation, obstacle avoidance and real-time decision-making, and will enable virtually any hardware to be made Airware- compatible, including Lidar, multi-spectral cameras, thermal sensors, stills and video cameras, gimbals and more. Platform one Airware’s AIP software runs on separate hardware in a UAV airframe Cloud service for flight safety UAV software Unmanned Systems Technology | Summer 2015 The software will allow companies to capture and analyse data for applications including land management, public safety and conservation The Airware Flight Core is dedicated hardware in the aircraft running a real-time operating system and flight-critical software