# PX4/PX4-Autopilot

PX4 Autopilot Software

Repository: https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/px4-autopilot
Homepage: https://px4.io
Language: C++
License: BSD-3-Clause
License Family: permissive
Topics: px4, pixhawk, uav, uas, dronecode, autopilot, ros, drone, mavlink, multicopter, fixed-wing, ugv, mavros, qgroundcontrol, dds, drones, avoidance, autonomous, ros2
Last push: 2026-08-27T00:08:15+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 89/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 71, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5142, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 112, "gap_med": 65, "n_releases_24m": 10}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 12499, forks 15913 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:59.218089+00:00)

## What it is
PX4 is an open-source autopilot flight stack for drones and unmanned vehicles, supporting multirotors, fixed-wing, VTOL, rovers, and other platforms. It runs on NuttX, Linux, and macOS, with MAVLink and DDS/ROS 2 integration, SITL simulation, and broad Pixhawk hardware support.

## Use cases
- fly a drone with open-source autopilot firmware
- build a custom quadcopter flight controller
- integrate ROS 2 with a drone for autonomous navigation
- simulate drone flights in software before flying hardware
- control a fixed-wing UAV or VTOL aircraft
- develop autonomous rover or boat control software
- do academic research on drone control and avoidance

## When to choose
- you need a production-proven, vendor-neutral autopilot with wide hardware support
- you want MAVLink or ROS 2/DDS integration for offboard control
- you need simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing tooling
- you want a BSD-licensed stack governed by the Linux Foundation

## When to avoid
- you need a simple hobby flight controller with minimal setup
- your project targets non-drone robotics unrelated to unmanned vehicles
- you require a permissively-embedded stack for microcontrollers outside the Pixhawk ecosystem without porting effort

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: middleware, simulation, robotics, sdk, developer-tools
- domain: robotics, autonomous-vehicles, embedded-systems, simulation, iot
- platform: embedded, cpp, cross-platform
- tags: autopilot, drones, uav, mavlink, pixhawk, flight-controller, ros2, dds, vtol, multicopter, fixed-wing, sitl, dronecode, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- PX4/PX4-Autopilot (main) score 89

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:59.218089+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:14:00.214566+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:59.218089+00:00, sha c7ce8c68ccba)
  - homepage: https://px4.io (fetched 2026-08-29T08:10:48.263923+00:00, sha 78a372afa198)
  - site_page: https://px4.io/software/getting-started (fetched 2026-08-29T08:10:48.268183+00:00, sha 3d0b7aae01c8)
  - site_page: https://docs.px4.io/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:10:48.269696+00:00, sha 1362dfec63c7)
  - site_page: https://px4.io/getting-started (fetched 2026-08-29T08:10:48.271260+00:00, sha 3d0b7aae01c8)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.