Inspiration
Our design draws from leading GCS platforms like QGroundControl, Mission Planner, and VCSi, along with systems we’ve previously developed.
We’ve built multiple GCS solutions for Schulich UAV, Lockheed Martin, and capstone projects. This experience shaped a practical, scalable web-based GCS designed for real-world UAV operations.
What It Does
We developed a voice-enabled ground control station that executes MAVLink commands through natural language.
By saying “Hey Pluto,” users can identify specific drones and issue commands, enabling hands-free, intuitive UAV control.
Manual confirmation of mission critical commands is required.
How We Built It
We used React and Python to rapidly develop a reliable system using familiar tools.
We integrated OpenAI Whisper, Rasa, and Mapbox for speech recognition, NLP, and mapping. MAVLink was chosen for fine-grained control over ArduPilot, compared to MAVSDK’s PX4 focus.
Challenges
- Handling ambiguous or incorrect voice inputs
- Ensuring low-latency voice processing
- Managing multi-vehicle simulation and configuration in Gazebo
Accomplishments
We’re proud of the system’s robustness and clean UI given the limited timeframe.
By combining strengths from VCSi, Mission Planner, QGroundControl, and our own past systems, we built a GCS capable of supporting real-world, flight-critical operations.
What We Learned
We explored integrating voice control into UAV systems and learned that reliability is non-trivial.
Key challenges included activation logic, filtering noise, and extracting actionable command data from natural language.
What’s Next for Project Pluto
We plan to test real-world deployment by integrating MAVProxy on a Raspberry Pi to fly a 10 kg quadcopter.
We also aim to add text-to-speech to improve pilot awareness (e.g., speed, altitude, geofence proximity), addressing real operational gaps.
Future features include:
- Customizable HUD (pitch, roll, yaw)
- Manual controls alongside voice
- Parameter tuning (e.g., PIDs, ArduPilot configs)
- Pre-flight tools like motor testing
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wDLmmsmsG5B0eztBHDZTOoQ09YsMsU_uKuR48BgvuZY/edit?usp=sharing
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