The Linux Foundation has a collaborative project called the Dronecode project, which has an open source platform for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The foundation said that it now has investments from 27 new member organizations and has formed technical working groups to advance the platform.

The project has tripled its membership since it formed, and now has investments from a total of 51 member organizations. The newest members include: Aerotenna LLC, AirMap, Airphrame, Altitude Angel, AutoModality, BirdsEyeView Aerobotics, CUAV, Droidika, Dig.y.Sol, DroneDeploy, DroneWorks Inc., Emlid, EnRoute, Falcon Unmanned, Hex Technologies Limited, Incite Focus, InspecTools, Matternet, ProfiCNC, Sentera, Skedans, Yin Yan Tech US Inc. and Zubax. New sponsored members include Humanitarian UAV network, OpenTX Project, Stanford University Aerospace Design Lab and UAVCAN.

“One of the founding members, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, has increased its investment to the platinum level as it introduces new products for the UAV ecosystem,” the Foundation says. “Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. recently launched Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight™, a highly integrated 58x40mm board targeted specifically for consumer drones and robotics applications. Snapdragon Flight is based on a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 processor, along with Dronecode PX4 open source UAV software and robust connectivity, bringing cutting-edge mobile technologies to create a new class of consumer drones.”

The project has an MAVlink Camera working group, an Airspace working group, and a Hardware working group.

“From increasing member investments to a growing, vibrant developer community, the Dronecode Project’s first year has been extremely exciting,” said Chris Anderson, 3DR CEO and Dronecode Board of Directors Chairman. “By bringing efforts together to establish a common platform and utilizing open source best practices, we’re able to build the foundation for a new era of drone applications that extend from the camera to the cloud. The Dronecode “full-stack” platform approach, combined with the hardware and software innovations of its members, will bring about a new generation of drones that are autonomous, aware of their environments, and continuously connected — an airborne Internet of Things.”

According to the Foundation, industries with the most commercial opportunities in this area include agriculture, energy, utilities, mining, and construction.

Image via Dronecode