Software Development for Uncrewed Aerial Systems: From Drones to High-Altitude Platforms

Software is essential for the development and operation of uncrewed aerial systems. This work presents software solutions developed for ground control stations and onboard computers, focusing on sensor control, data collection, communication between systems and onboard data processing.

The work includes the development and testing of software that connects different system components and allows them to exchange data. It also addresses common challenges, such as ensuring reliable communication between ground and onboard systems and working with limited computing resources.

Drones provide a practical and accessible way to develop and test these software capabilities. They can help validate solutions before using them in more complex aerial platforms, such as High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPSs), where testing and integration can be more difficult and require more resources.

This work shows how software development and testing with drones can help improve system integration, communication and data processing, supporting the development of future high-altitude observation systems.