Ascend Engineering has successfully completed a collaboration with Julian Oes, veteran PX4 developer and MAVSDK maintainer, to improve MAVSDK builds on Windows platforms.
The partnership has resolved numerous Windows development challenges and opened new possibilities for drone application development.
Led by Ascend Engineering Software Engineer Andrew Brahim, the project addresses critical technical barriers that have long prevented developers from effectively utilizing Windows for drone application development. The collaboration with Oes, whose experience with PX4 and MAVSDK spans years of core development work, proved instrumental in identifying and resolving complex dependency detection and management issues.
The project emerged from the recognition that Windows is a critical development environment for many organizations, particularly in enterprise settings, and deserves strong support within the drone ecosystem.
Ascend Engineering conducted extensive testing and validation of the fixes across Windows 10 and 11 configurations, ensuring reliability and reproducibility. The company has also contributed comprehensive documentation to the community, providing developers with clear guidance for implementing MAVSDK solutions on Windows. In addition, they have also composed both written and video tutorials to help developers get started even faster.
Julian Oes brings a wealth of experience to the collaboration, having been a key contributor to both PX4 and MAVSDK development. His involvement ensured that the Windows improvements align with the broader vision for cross-platform drone development while maintaining the reliability and performance standards that developers expect from MAVSDK.
Andrew Wilkins, co-founder of Ascend Engineering, commented, “This work represents our commitment to strengthening the entire drone development ecosystem. By making MAVSDK more accessible on Windows, we’re lowering barriers for developers and organizations that need to work within Windows environments. This ultimately benefits everyone by expanding the community of developers who can contribute to drone innovation.”
The improvements are available immediately through the official MAVSDK repository, building on MAVSDK v3.5.0 which includes significant Windows compatibility enhancements. The work establishes a foundation for continued Windows platform development and creates new opportunities for organizations operating in Windows-centric environments.
