Terminal-autonomy module

Autonomy wins the drone wars.

SmartPilot Lite is a universal terminal-autonomy module. It turns an existing UAV into an intelligent vehicle without replacing its flight controller.

Join early accessDownload datasheetDatasheetPDF · 0.8 MB
SmartPilot Lite V2 board, top view: 42 mm wide with 30.5 mm mounting-hole spacing
The problem

The last seconds depend on everything that can fail.

Final-approach success rate
<15%
Flown by hand
75%
With SmartPilot Lite

Field data agrees: one Ukrainian brigade raised mission success from roughly 20% to 71% after adopting autonomous strike. Forbes, Aug 2026

  1. 01

    Pilot dependency

    Precision in the last seconds takes rare skill. It is slow to train and doesn't scale.

  2. 02

    Line of sight dependency

    Terrain and low altitude cut the view exactly when it matters most.

  3. 03

    RF link dependency

    Every correction travels over the radio. Latency and jamming break the loop.

  4. 04

    GNSS & geolocation dependency

    Coordinate-based autonomy fails when satellites are denied or the target moves.

The solution

The camera does the last part of the flying.

SmartPilot Lite locks onto the target in the camera image, in the air or on the ground, and steers the aircraft to it, without depending on the pilot's reaction time, a steady radio link or GPS.

  1. AIRGROUNDLIVE
    1

    Choose

    The operator flies normally and selects the target on the video feed: an aircraft in the air or an object on the ground.

  2. HAND OVER
    2

    Confirm

    The operator hands control to SmartPilot. It never takes over on its own.

  3. AIR TARGETGROUND TARGET
    3

    Guide

    SmartPilot tracks the target, in the air or on the ground, and flies the final approach. The operator can take control back at any moment.

Operator in commandfrom the first pick to the last metre
Works with the flight controller you already fly
  • PX4
  • ArduPilot
  • Betaflight
  • INAV
Platforms

  • FPV drones

    Standard FPV quadcopters

  • Interceptors

    High-speed air-to-air drones

  • Fixed-wing

    Small fixed-wing aircraft and flying wings

Targets

  • Aerial

    UAVs and loitering munitions

  • Ground

    Armor and vehicles, moving or stationary

  • Naval

    Surface vessels and fast boats

Integration

One board. Three connections.

A camera goes in, video goes out to the link you already use, and one UART connects it to the flight controller.

1 · Camera in (any one)
  • Analog cameraCVBS
  • CSI cameraMIPI CSI-2 ribbon
  • USB cameraUSB UVC
  • IPEX cameradigital, IPEX lead
CAMERA INVIDEO OUTUART
SmartPilot Lite
select · process · overlay
2 · Video out (your link)
Analog VTX → analog gogglesCVBS out, PAL / NTSC. The goggles show the processed image.
IP radio → receiver + viewerEthernet out, H.264 / RTSP stream.*
3 · Flight controllerUART to SmartPilot · MAVLink / MSPPX4 · ArduPilot · Betaflight · INAV
More detail: wiring for each video path →

*RTSP streaming requires compatible application firmware.

Why not a dev kit

Dev kits get you a demo. Not a fleet.

NVIDIA Jetson and Raspberry Pi are great for prototyping, but they are general-purpose computers, not a sustainable way to field autonomy. We don't just sell a board: SmartPilot Lite is a full-stack system, and its software keeps improving with frequent updates.

Jetson / Raspberry PiSmartPilot Lite
Built forLab prototypingThe airframe
Mounting & powerCustom brackets, separate regulatorStandard FPV stack, powered by the FC
Start-upFull operating system to bootNo operating system to boot
SoftwareYours to build and maintainFull stack, updated frequently
Technical specifications

The numbers.

Specifications are subject to change.

Download datasheetDatasheetPDF · 0.8 MB

Processor & compute

Main MCU
STM32N657X0
CPU
1× Cortex-M55 @ 800 MHz
Internal NPU
0.6 TOPS Neural-ART
Internal GPU
NeoChrom 2.5D
Storage
64 MB Octo-SPI NOR flash
Internal RAM
4.2 MB internal SRAM
External RAM
64 MB external PSRAM
Power input
Regulated 5 V from FC BEC ≥ 3 A · reverse-polarity protected

Onboard sensors

IMU
6-axis ICM-45686 (3-axis accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope)
Barometer
BMP585 absolute pressure sensor

Video input & output

Analog camera
CVBS · JST-SH 4-pin
Digital camera
MIPI CSI-2 via FFC · up to 1920 × 1080 (1080p)
USB camera
USB 2.0 HS host (UVC) · 4-pin header
IPEX camera
Digital camera via IPEX connector
Analog video out
CVBS · PAL / NTSC to VTX
Pipeline
HW deinterlacer + TBC
Modality
Thermal & optical
Format
NTSC 720 × 480 @ 60i · PAL/SECAM 720 × 576 @ 50i

Communications & FC integration

UART
2× UART (connector + solder pads) · 3.3 V or 5 V logic
FC link
UART @ 921600 · MAVLink or MSP
RC link
UART · CRSF direct receiver
VTX OSD
MSP DisplayPort over the FC UART
Ethernet
10/100 Mbps · video output to IP radios
Bus
I²C ×1 · SPI ×1 (solder pads)
Debug
SWD on solder pads

Connectors

Power in
8-pin · 5 V input (4× VIN, 4× GND)
CSI camera
22-pin FFC, 0.5 mm · 2-lane MIPI CSI-2, camera I²C + power
Analog camera in
4-pin · CVBS in, 5 V camera power, control, GND
Analog video out
3-pin · CVBS out to VTX, control, GND
USB camera
4-pin · USB 2.0 HS (5 V, D−, D+, GND)
Ethernet
5-pin · 10/100 (TX±, RX±, shield)
UART 1
3-pin · TX, RX, GND
Solder pads
UART 2 · SPI · I²C · SWD / reset · boot

Mechanical & environment

Form factor
42 × 42 × 9 mm
Mount
30.5 mm M3 dual stack
Weight
19 g
Operating temp.
−20 to +70 °C
What's next

This is only the beginning.

Terminal autonomy is the first step toward fully autonomous drone piloting. Every software update makes the same board more capable.

Research

Built on peer-reviewed work.

Be first to fly it.

Early-access units are limited. Join the waitlist to hear first when boards ship, and get product and software updates along the way.