Exploring an AI Chatbot for ArduPilot: Natural Language Control, Parameter Help & Swarm Coordination

General
1

Hi everyone,

I’m a final year Software Engineering student from Karachi (Pakistan), and I’ve been thinking about an idea that could potentially simplify how we interact with UAVs—especially for beginners or non-technical users.

The core concept is to develop an AI-driven chatbot (likely using GPT-4, Python, and MAVLink) that allows users to control drones, tune parameters, and even coordinate swarms—just by using natural language.

Some core features:

1)Parameter Assistance via Chat**
Users could ask things like:

“How do I make the drone hold position more tightly in Loiter mode?”

The chatbot would explain relevant parameters (like WPNAV_RADIUS), suggest safe values, and optionally send updates via PARAM_SET.

  • Natural Language Mission Planning
    You could say:
    “Plan a lawnmower scan over this area at 20m altitude,”
    and the chatbot would generate a valid mission plan in MAVLink format or Mission Planner-compatible format.

  • Swarm Coordination
    For multi-drone setups:
    “Send three drones to scan three locations and return after 10 minutes,”
    The system would parse the intent, generate task assignments in JSON, and send them to individual drones (tested in SITL first).

  • (Optional) Multi-Drone Dashboard
    Mission Planner is great, but for swarms or multiple concurrent missions, a web-based dashboard (e.g., using Leaflet.js or Folium) could help track positions, status, and alerts in real time.

Why this might be useful:

  • Accessibility– Makes ArduPilot more approachable for students, hobbyists, or first-time users
  • Smarter control – Adds context-aware logic (e.g., factoring in battery, wind, and GPS before failsafe decisions)
  • Swarm-ready – Opens doors for use cases in agriculture, surveillance, or drone cinematography

Where I’m at:

I haven’t started development yet—it’s still an idea I’m exploring. Before I go further, I’d love to get feedback from the community:

  • Would a natural language chatbot be useful for parameter tuning or mission planning?
  • Are swarm coordination features something you’d find valuable?
  • Do you feel a custom multi-drone dashboard would add value beyond Mission Planner?
  • Any other features or limitations I should consider early on?

If there’s genuine interest, I’d love to start prototyping, share progress, or even open-source parts of it down the line.

Looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions!

— Muhammad Ali

2

This is already been pursued. Take a look at the Blog post section of this forum.

Hardware and firmware Parameter help chatbot already exists, on the bottom right corner

3

Thanks for the info @amilcarlucas — I checked out the Methodic Configurator and the built-in parameter help chatbot. Great work, and it’s clear the ArduPilot team has made huge progress in making setup and tuning more accessible.

That said, I wanted to clarify the angle I’m exploring:

  • I’m not just focused on parameter help — my goal is to enable natural language-based control and mission planning, and optionally swarm coordination.

  • I’m also experimenting with context-aware safety logic, where decisions (e.g., RTL, loiter, descend) are based on multiple signals (battery, GPS, wind) and mission type (e.g., mapping vs. surveillance).

  • The system uses a Python orchestrator + GPT + MAVLink in SITL, with possible multi-drone dashboard visualization (Leaflet.js).

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Quick Question:

Is there any ongoing or planned work to embed a GPT-based chatbot directly into Mission Planner — not for parameter lookup, but to let users issue natural language flight commands or mission plans (e.g., “fly in a square pattern”, “circle this area”, “record video”)?

I’d love to avoid duplicating efforts if something like that is already underway — or possibly contribute if it aligns with the roadmap.

Thanks again!

— Muhammad Ali

4

Yes, see the Blog section of this forum.

5

Thanks for pointing me to the ArduPilot Methodic Configurator and mentioning that a chatbot already exists.

Just to make sure I’m not missing anything — could you kindly share the exact blog post(s) you’re referring to?

I came across these two GSoC 2025 projects:

  1. GSoC 2025: AI Chat WebTool for use with Mission Planner and/or QGroundControl
  2. GSoC 2025: AI Chat Integration with WebTools

Are these the ones you meant?

Thanks again for your time!

— Muhammad Ali

6

Yes, those are the ones, and there is also a voice command module in MAVProxy

7

Would you like to recommend me a project?