The open-source drone movement just hit a major milestone. The Dronecode Foundation, the nonprofit stewarding the PX4 ecosystem, has now reached an estimated $1 billion in project value.

Unlike private companies that take investor funding, it can be tricky to value open source software. After all, it’s free. But, experts can use cost models to estimate the effort and time (and thus cost) needed to recreate the software from scratch. And based on the latest estimates, it would take an estimated $1 billion to remake Dronecode — which was founded in 2014 under the Linux Foundation — in its state today.

That particularly $1 billion valuation was calculated using the COCOMO constructive cost model. And for the drone industry, it means that there’s a lot of value when it comes to collaborative development.

“The industry has realized it needs to work together in order to push things forward,” Ramón Roche, General Manager of the Dronecode Foundation, told The Drone Girl. “Dronecode is at the center of that collaboration as a neutral home for open technologies.”

So with a perceived value of $1 billion, what should we expect from Dronecode ahead? Its latest 2024 Year in Review report signals a new chapter — not just for Dronecode, but for open-source robotics as a whole. Here are the key nuggets from that report, which hit in February 2025, and what it means for the future of drones:

Open source will fuel robotics beyond drones

When people think of robots, they tend to picture industrial machines welding car frames in an assembly line. And while closed, proprietary systems have long dominated factory automation, open-source robotics is carving out its own space — particularly in aerial autonomy.

Much like their ground-based robotic counterparts, open-source drones have seen boom-and-bust cycles, struggling through recessions and regulatory roadblocks. Yet, despite these challenges, the PX4 ecosystem has not only survived but thrived.

“For an open-source project to continue operating through the tough times, all of this could be described as a miracle,” Roche said. “But these projects have been key to the industry’s resilience, allowing companies to prototype and iterate in days instead of months.”

Drone development will be faster and cheaper

Sure, China tariffs have led to concerns over rising drone costs. But here’s good news for drone companies worried about skyrocketing costs of parts: at least R&D costs will drop.

Open source as a whole generally leads to faster innovation and quicker time-to-market. After all, the more than 13,000 developers contributing to the ecosystem means that companies using PX4 and MAVLink can tap into a massive talent pool — without shouldering the full cost of software development themselves.

AI marks the next big shift in drones

It’s practically impossible to talk about the future of tech without talking about AI.

Traditionally, drone flight controllers have been designed for real-time responsiveness — prioritizing stability and navigation over raw computing power. But as drones take on more complex AI-driven tasks, that’s changing.

“With the increased computing demand of advanced workflows, modern drones must include higher-performing compute modules,” Roche said. “While the core flight stack still runs in real-time on a flight controller, the new wave of AI-enabled features calls for an NVIDIA Jetson-like computer to be part of all new default configurations.”

Sure, that shift brings new challenges, particularly in integrating real-time flight controls with AI-driven decision-making. To bridge that gap, the PX4 ecosystem has developed an SDK that allows developers to seamlessly connect both systems. With that, they can enable mission computers to leverage AI without having to modify the underlying flight controller firmware.

There’s more ahead for PX4 and open-source drones

The latest PX4 v1.15 release brings major advancements in autonomous navigation, improving obstacle avoidance, AI-driven perception and path-planning algorithms.

Meanwhile, the introduction of the FMUv6X-RT standard marks a turning point for hardware innovation in the ecosystem. By moving beyond the traditional STM32-based Pixhawk architecture, PX4 is embracing NXP-based MCUs. That basically means higher-performance for developers, with real-time computing platforms for more capable and efficient aerial robotics applications.

Looking ahead, Roche said Dronecode’s trajectory is on a path of more collaboration, more AI-driven autonomy and broader industry adoption. And sure, proprietary drone solutions still dominate the commercial space. But, the open source drone community is growing at a rapid pace.

“Proprietary solutions can’t replicate the community effect behind open-source projects,” Roche said. “For organizations using open source, it’s incredibly valuable to reach a talent pool of more than 13,000 developers who are building a career in an open ecosystem.”

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