Data checked 2026-08-13. Data may be stale - beyond the review cycle.
Review cycles are documented on the Methodology page. Methodology
ArduPilot/ardupilot_gazebo
Simulator Tier A simulation_digital_twin LGPL-3.0
Plugins and models for vehicle simulation in Gazebo Sim with ArduPilot SITL controllers
Engineering Snapshot
Use cases & tasks 6
- Best suited for
-
- ArduPilot developers
- Researchers requiring Gazebo-based simulation
- CI/CD pipelines for autopilot testing
- Primary tasks
-
- Software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulation with ArduPilot
- Sensor and environment simulation in Gazebo
- Multi-vehicle swarm simulation
Stack & ecosystem
- Resource type
- Simulator
- Ecosystem
- ardupilot · gazebo · simulation · sitl
License & compliance
- License
-
LGPL-3.0(Inferred)
Lifecycle & freshness Show
- Maintenance
- Active
- Latest version
- Not recorded
- Last activity
- 2026-08-08
- Last checked
- 2026-08-13
- Verification
- Official confirmed
What It Solves
Engineers need a Gazebo Sim integration to run ArduPilot SITL controllers for vehicle simulation, sensor modeling, and multi-vehicle scenarios without hardware.
Primary use cases
- Software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulation with ArduPilot
- Sensor and environment simulation in Gazebo
- Multi-vehicle swarm simulation
Secondary use cases
- Algorithm development and validation
- Regression testing in automated pipelines
When to Use
Consider when
- LGPL-3.0 license compliance for proprietary derivatives
- Gazebo Sim version compatibility
- ArduPilot version alignment
Verify before adopting
- Supported Gazebo Sim and ArduPilot version matrix
- LGPL linking requirements for your distribution model
- Performance on target CI hardware
Where It Fits
Stack layer simulation
Upstream / depends on
Downstream / used by
Start Here
Adoption Checklist
- Needs verification Supported Gazebo Sim and ArduPilot version matrix
- Needs verification LGPL linking requirements for your distribution model
- Needs verification Performance on target CI hardware
Each check stays "needs verification" until an official source confirms it; unconfirmed items are never marked verified.
Known Limitations & Unknowns
Known limitations
- LGPL-3.0 may impose dynamic linking requirements
- No explicit hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) support documented
- Gazebo Classic (pre-Ignition) not mentioned
Not publicly verified
- Exact Gazebo Sim versions supported
- ArduPilot version compatibility matrix
- Performance benchmarks for large swarms
Alternatives & Related Tools
Related tools
- ardupilot — Integrates with
- gazebo-sim — Built on
- ardupilot — depends on
- gazebo-sim — depends on
- gazebo-sim — Integrates with
How is it used?
Start from the recorded entry points below, then validate against the technical checklist.
- Official site https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot_gazebo
- Repository https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot_gazebo
- Documentation https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot_gazebo
Technical checklist
- OK License identified Recorded: LGPL-3.0
- OK Maintenance signal Active
- OK Verification status Official confirmed
- OK Source evidence attached 1 source record(s)
- NEEDS REVIEW Latest version recorded Not recorded
Official Links
Metadata & Governance
| License | LGPL-3.0 — Inferred |
|---|---|
| Commercial model | Unknown |
| Maintenance status | Active |
| Verification status | Official confirmed — Confirmed via the official repository API responses in SourceRefs below. |
| Latest version | Not recorded |
| Latest release | Not recorded |
| Last activity | 2026-08-08 |
| Last checked | 2026-08-13 |
| First seen | Not recorded |
Related Resources & Dependencies
- ardupilot — integrates with (confirmed)
- gazebo-sim — built on (confirmed)
- ardupilot — depends on (confirmed)
- gazebo-sim — depends on (confirmed)
- gazebo-sim — integrates with (confirmed)
Recent Activity
New resource: ardupilot-gazebo
New repository resource added by the sprint promote pipeline.
Related Knowledge
Guides
- Setting Up a PX4 SITL Loop with Gazebo — Build a local PX4 software-in-the-loop environment with Gazebo and QGroundControl.
Collections
- ArduPilot Development and SITL Toolkit — Open components for developing against ArduPilot with software-in-the-loop simulation.
- Simulation and Mapping Toolchains — Open-source simulation and mapping repositories used for development, testing and survey workflows.