14 DAY TRIAL // The Linux Foundation, the same organization that fosters the collaboration for the Linux kernel, is looking to unite the companies that make open source-powered drones under one roof.
The newly-formed Dronecode Project gathers companies from all over the world that share the same values and the same kind of technologies. They all have something in common. They use open source software in their drones and they are active participants in the open source community.
Getting people to work under the same umbrella is not something new for The Linux Foundation. Besides the Linux kernel project, which is by far the biggest collaborative enterprise in the world (and free at the same time), The Linux Foundation also caters to a number of other interests. For example, they were the ones that convinced all the major IT corporations, like Microsoft, HP, Intel, and so on, to put money into OpenSSL development after the entire Heartbleed debacle.
Open source-powered drones are here
We all know that commercial drones have started to pop up basically all over the globe. There are numerous companies that build them and some of them are using open source software to make them work. In fact, the drone industry is much bigger than anyone could imagine. The Teal Group, an aerospace market research firm, has estimated that in the next 10 years the industry will probably invest more than $91 billion (€72 billion) in research, development, and testing.
"The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux and collaborative development, today announced the founding of the Dronecode Project. The Project will bring together existing open source drone projects and assets under a nonprofit structure governed by The Linux Foundation. The result will be a common, shared open source platform for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)."
"Founding members include 3D Robotics, Baidu, Box, DroneDeploy, Intel, jDrones, Laser Navigation, Qualcomm, SkyWard, Squadrone System, Walkera and Yuneec. Dronecode includes the APM/ArduPilot UAV software platform and associated code, which until now has been hosted by 3D Robotics, a world leader in advanced UAV autopilot and autonomous vehicle control," reads the The Linux Foundation communique.
This is just the beginning
Many people think about drones and their military applications, but the private industry is much larger. The commercial potential for drones is considerably bigger than the military use, so it's expected to see drones in a lot of other places.
What The Linux Foundation is doing with the Dronecode Project will only advance this industry and that means that drones are here to stay.