A field platform should do more than transmit a video feed. Our KD-P5 programme brings perception, mission processing and operator interaction into the aircraft’s computing architecture.
The concept is direct: an operator speaks a request, reviews the mission, and receives concise updates. Onboard processing handles the observation task; the flight controller manages the aircraft. This separation lets the software evolve around a stable control architecture.
Communications are designed around compact command and status messages. Imagery, video and bulk records use separate data paths, so a large transfer does not compete with essential mission traffic.
Compute where the data originates
We are evaluating companion-compute platforms for perception and mission processing. Processing demand, electrical power, heat, storage and aircraft mass are assessed together.
Voice as an operational interface
The voice workflow connects spoken input to a structured mission request and returns short status replies. Route previews give the operator a direct way to inspect the planned mission.
Connectivity as a system
The communications research covers Nigerian cellular-network failover, command acknowledgements and local data storage. The goal is a practical field workflow that can cope with interrupted links.