A solution to fix and rewrite collision prevention has been discovered through the use of the PX4 Community’s new PX4 Bounties initiative.
The first-ever PX4 bounty, totalling $1,000, was posted by Alex Klimaj, CEO/CTO of ARK Electronics, and Andrew Wilkins, CEO of Ascend Engineering.
The bounty focused on fixing and rewriting the PX4 collision prevention feature, which had been non-functional for over a year. Claudio Chies successfully claimed the bounty, marking a significant milestone for PX4 and demonstrating the power of community-driven innovation.
According to the problem description, the preferred solution was to implement a Vector Field Histogram (VFH) algorithm, ensuring:
- Obstacle avoidance through real-time vector adjustments.
- Compatibility with various obstacle detection message formats.
- Performance in the default position mode with adjustable parameters for resolution and hardware scaling.
Although this trial initiative is not yet officially endorsed by the Dronecode Foundation, it is already capturing attention as a way to incentivize solutions for technical challenges and development of new features in the PX4 Autopilot framework.
How PX4 Bounties Work
The concept is straightforward:
- Anyone can post a bounty for a specific issue or feature, offering rewards ranging from $1 to $10,000.
- Members of the community can claim the bounty by submitting a Pull Request (PR) that resolves the issue.
- Once the PR is reviewed and merged into PX4, the contributor receives the bounty.
This initiative is hosted on the Algora platform, which simplifies the process of managing and claiming bounties.
While still in its trial phase, PX4 Bounties promises to become a core part of the PX4 ecosystem, fostering a more dynamic and solutions-oriented environment.
The PX4 Community encourages everyone to get involved, whether by posting a bounty or solving one, and contribute to the growth and success of this open-source project.
Speaking of the Bounty System, Ioannis Florokapis CEO of Algora commented, “The PX4 community can now crowdfund improvements to the open source Autopilot and reward engineers who contribute solutions. This is wonderful news for accelerating innovation in drone technology and supporting the sustainability of open source software.”
ARK Electronics develops cutting-edge avionics technologies, delivering precision-engineered flight controllers and intelligent sensor technology for autonomous and robotic platforms. The company’s USA-manufactured solutions meet rigorous NDAA standards, enabling breakthrough capabilities across defense and commercial UAV ecosystems.
Ascend Engineering provides specialized software engineering expertise targeting unmanned aerial vehicle technologies. The company’s adaptive development frameworks empower government and commercial clients to leverage transformative drone innovations, accelerating operational performance and technological advancement.
