Research on the Role of OSS/OSH Platforms for Preliminary Simulation of UAVs: Demonstration with Case Studies

Abstract

The dramatic evolution of the world of technology, particularly the world of autonomous vehicles and robots, suggests a complex, advanced, and sophisticated future generation of unmanned vehicles. This development includes software and hardware fields, which complement each other. This contribution analyzes the most commonly available and widely used Open-Source Simulation (OSS) platforms such as (jMAVSim, FlightGear, X-Plane, UE4Sim, AirSim, Gazebo, MORSE, and Webots) suitable for learning and scientific research environments. In addition, the Open-Source Project (OSP) platforms are described. The technical data of the Pixhawk and CUAV FC (Flight Controller) series have been reviewed. This work presents experimental case studies based on the AirSim simulation platform, the Rider platform, and the Pixhawk autopilot board. The results included conducting several virtual flights with the integration of the autopilot board into virtual simulated environments with the ability to monitor sensors, battery levels, and motors. Preliminary results showed reliable performance, good stability, and high responsiveness, with low cost and no risk of flight test. This work concludes that open-source platforms can be considered as a suitable approach for the research, development, and education of UAV systems. It is worth noting the importance of the simulation process prior to conducting the actual testing, especially in the field of aviation where risk ratios and sudden errors are higher. In addition, virtual simulation environments are valuable learning platforms in academia and industry. © 2023 IEEE.