What was accomplished

●       The next software stage introduced a direct communication layer between the custom application and ArduPilot, removing the need to manually upload every generated mission through Mission Planner.

●       The command interface was connected to ArduPilot SITL so mission commands and vehicle-state feedback could be tested in a simulated aircraft environment before any real-drone use.

●       Repeated SITL runs were used to verify that the application could communicate reliably with ArduPilot, send the intended mission actions, and follow the simulated vehicle response throughout the test sequence.

Challenges and solutions

The main challenge was validating the new command path without introducing risk to the aircraft. SITL provided a safe environment to debug the connection, confirm command execution, and refine the mission flow before progressing to hardware testing.

Next steps plan

Expand the operator interface with structured waypoint controls and JSON mission loading, then simplify the workflow further for repeated mission testing.