A blueprint for a fixed-wing autopilot on an Android smartphone

The growing set of potential applications for UAVs is driving research and development of more intelligent systems to prove feasibility of future integration into national airspace. An autonomous UAV architecture built upon a COTS Android smartphone is proposed as a platform for widespread development. A brief analysis is conducted on the feasibility of an open-source, inexpensive, user-friendly autonomous system, built upon the capabilities of a contemporary smartphone. An examination of flight control, position estimation, attitude determination, and long-range data connection through a Samsung Galaxy Nexus determines that this type of system may be developed by building on the concepts used in the existing Paparazzi autopilot software.