Table of Contents
One Architecture, Many Vehicles
The Ubuntu Software fleet architecture is vehicle-agnostic by design. The same NATS JetStream infrastructure, digital twin patterns, and authorization model that manages drone fleets also manages cars, trucks, and autonomous ground vehicles.
What’s Universal
These components work identically across all vehicle types:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| NATS JetStream | Messaging backbone, works for any telemetry |
| Subject Hierarchy | fleet.{env}.veh.{id}.* — vehicle ID is just an identifier |
| Digital Twins | State streams, event streams, shadow stores |
| Authorization | Decentralized security, grants, third-party access |
| Streams & Events | Telemetry rollup, audit trails, queryable state |
The architecture doesn’t care what’s generating the telemetry. A position update from a drone and a position update from a truck flow through the same infrastructure.
What’s Vehicle-Specific
Each platform has unique requirements:
| Aspect | Varies By Platform |
|---|---|
| Hardware | Airframes vs chassis, flight controllers vs ECUs |
| Protocols | MAVLink, CAN bus, ROS 2, J1939 |
| Safety Model | RC override vs e-stop, RTL vs stop-in-place |
| Sensors | Altitude vs ground clearance, airspeed vs wheel speed |
| Regulations | Aviation authorities vs road transport |
Supported Platforms
Drones
Unmanned aerial vehicles running PX4 or ArduPilot:
- Hardware: Holybro X500, Pixhawk 6X, NVIDIA Jetson
- Protocol: MAVLink over serial/UDP
- Safety: RC override, Return-to-Launch, geofencing
- Use Cases: Inspection, mapping, surveillance, delivery
Ground Vehicles
Cars, trucks, AGVs, and autonomous ground platforms:
- Hardware: Vehicle ECUs, industrial PCs, Jetson
- Protocol: CAN bus, J1939, ROS 2
- Safety: E-stop, stop-in-place, geofencing
- Use Cases: Logistics, mining, agriculture, last-mile delivery
Gateway Pattern
The Vehicle Gateway bridges vehicle-native protocols to NATS. Each platform has a gateway implementation:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VEHICLE GATEWAY │
├─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┤
│ MAVLink GW │ CAN GW │ ROS 2 GW │
│ (Drones) │ (Cars/Trucks) │ (ROS Robots) │
└────────┬────────┴────────┬────────┴────────────┬────────────────┘
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NATS JETSTREAM │
│ Same subjects, same streams, same patterns │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The gateway:
- Translates protocol-specific messages to common telemetry format
- Publishes to standard subject hierarchy
- Enforces safety policies
- Handles store-and-forward during connectivity loss
Adding New Platforms
The architecture supports any vehicle that can:
- Generate telemetry — Position, velocity, health data
- Accept commands — Start, stop, waypoint navigation
- Run a gateway — Translate native protocol to NATS
Custom platforms integrate by implementing a gateway for their protocol. The rest of the infrastructure (NATS, streams, authorization) works unchanged.
Learn More
| Platform | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Drones | PX4, Pixhawk, MAVLink integration |
| Ground Vehicles | CAN bus, J1939, automotive integration |
| Vehicle Gateway | Protocol bridging architecture |
| Safety Model | Platform-specific safety requirements |
Get Started
Building a mixed fleet? Deploying ground vehicles alongside drones? We can help with architecture and implementation.