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Autopilot API for Drone Developers – Gravity Challenge

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Contribute to open-source drone technology by developing a Python SDK for autonomous flight control. Work on real APIs from the PX4 ecosystem, building tools for tourism and aerial services.

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    Aerospace & Drones • Smart Project

    Autopilot API for Drone Developers
    Gravity Challenge Innovation

    Contribute to open-source drone technology by developing a Python SDK for autonomous flight control. Work on real APIs from the PX4 ecosystem, building tools that enable developers worldwide to create innovative drone applications for tourism, mapping, and aerial services.

    WIL & Capstone Compatible
    8–12 Week Options
    Open Source Contribution
    Drone Technology
    The Challenge

    Why This Project Exists

    The Australian Space Agency's Gravity Challenge 2019 called for innovations in Travel & Tourism using emerging space and drone technologies. This project addresses real barriers to drone innovation.

    Complex Flight APIs

    Current drone autopilot systems require deep expertise in MAVLink protocols and flight controller internals. Developers need a simpler, higher-level API to build applications quickly.

    Tourism Industry Needs

    Tourism operators want to use drones for high-resolution imagery, GIS mapping, and virtual tours—but lack the technical capability to programme custom flight missions.

    Fragmented Ecosystem

    Different drone manufacturers use different protocols. A unified Python SDK would allow developers to write code once and target multiple platforms (DJI, ArduPilot, PX4).

    Project Source

    Where This Project Comes From

    This Smart Project is sourced from a real hackathon innovation challenge. High Tech Masterminds participated in the Gravity Challenge 2019, contributing to the Dronecode open-source ecosystem under the Linux Foundation.

    About the Gravity Challenge

    The Gravity Challenge was a national innovation program run by the Australian Space Agency, bringing together technologists, startups, and industry to solve real problems using space and drone technologies.

    Our team focused on the Travel & Tourism vertical, developing tools that enable tourism operators to deploy drones for aerial photography, resort mapping, and destination marketing—all powered by an accessible Python API.

    How Smart Projects Work: You'll work on real open-source contributions, supervised weekly by an industry mentor from High Tech Masterminds who participated in the original hackathon. Your code could be merged into the Dronecode project.

    2019
    Gravity Challenge
    PX4
    Flight Stack
    Linux
    Foundation
    Adelaide
    Conference

    Your Role

    Drone SDK Developer & Open Source Contributor

    Technology Stack

    Tools & Technologies

    Work with industry-standard drone development tools used by aerospace engineers worldwide.

    PX4
    Flight Control Software
    MAVLink
    Drone Communication Protocol
    Python
    SDK Development
    MAVSDK
    High-Level API Library
    QGroundControl
    Ground Station Software
    Gazebo
    Drone Simulation
    Git/GitHub
    Version Control
    pytest
    Testing Framework
    What You'll Do

    Key Tasks & Responsibilities

    Work as a Drone SDK Developer, contributing real code to the open-source ecosystem—guided by weekly supervision from your industry mentor.

    Research PX4 autopilot architecture and MAVLink protocol specifications
    Design a high-level Python API that abstracts complex flight commands
    Implement core SDK functions: takeoff, land, waypoint navigation, return-to-home
    Test API functions using Gazebo drone simulator before real hardware
    Write unit tests and integration tests using pytest framework
    Create developer documentation using Sphinx or MkDocs with code examples
    Prepare contribution for Dronecode.org open-source submission
    Present tourism use case demo: aerial photography mission planner
    Project Stages

    How Your Project Unfolds

    A structured approach that mirrors real open-source development workflows.

    1
    Research & Setup
    Study PX4 architecture, set up development environment, run simulator
    2
    API Design
    Design SDK interface, document API contracts, review with mentor
    3
    Implementation
    Code core functions, write tests, iterate based on feedback
    4
    Demo & Release
    Build tourism demo, create docs, prepare for open-source release
    Deliverables

    What You'll Produce

    Portfolio-ready deliverables that demonstrate advanced systems programming and open-source contribution skills.

    Python SDK Package

    Installable Python package with high-level drone control functions

    Test Suite

    Comprehensive pytest tests with CI/CD integration ready

    Developer Documentation

    Sphinx/MkDocs documentation with API reference and tutorials

    Tourism Demo Video

    Simulated aerial photography mission showcasing SDK capabilities

    Daily Timesheets

    Professional time tracking demonstrating development allocation

    Open Source Contribution

    GitHub pull request ready for Dronecode community review

    Duration Options

    Choose Your Project Scope

    Select a duration that matches your academic requirements. This advanced project requires minimum 8 weeks for meaningful contribution.

    8
    Weeks
    Core SDK
    Basic flight commands + takeoff/land + waypoint navigation
    12
    Weeks
    Extended SDK
    Core + mission planning + camera control + full documentation
    16
    Weeks
    Production Ready
    Full SDK + multi-drone support + PyPI package release
    24
    Weeks
    Research Project
    Full platform + hardware testing + academic paper contribution
    Supervision & Support

    Weekly Industry Mentorship

    You'll receive structured supervision from an industry mentor who participated in the original Gravity Challenge and has hands-on drone development experience.

    Weekly Supervision – Meet with your HTM mentor who worked on the original hackathon project
    PX4 & MAVSDK Training – Structured onboarding to drone development fundamentals
    Code Review – Professional-grade code review before open-source submission
    Simulation Environment – Access to Gazebo simulation for safe testing

    Contribute to Open Source Drone Tech

    This advanced Smart Project offers a rare opportunity to work on aerospace technology sourced from a real Australian Space Agency innovation challenge. Weekly mentorship from engineers who built it.

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