New Taipei City – October 07, 2026 -- Upbeat Technology launched the Bluemag Pi, a sensor-integrated flight controller combining real-time flight control with onboard AI inference, targeting long-endurance fixed-wing aircraft, commercial multirotor drones and unmanned surface vessels.
Dual-core RISC-V chip separates flight-critical tasks from AI processing
The board runs on Upbeat's UP301 system-on-chip, pairing SiFive's E3 and E2 RISC-V processor cores. One core handles time-critical flight control while the second manages communication, navigation and AI tasks, according to the company.
Global drone market growth outpaces flight-controller capabilities
Grand View Research valued the global drone market at approximately $96.4 billion in 2026, projecting growth to $182.4 billion by 2033 at a roughly 9.5% compound annual rate. Most incumbent autopilots rely on general-purpose processors without dedicated AI acceleration, forcing drone makers to bolt on separate companion computers for onboard intelligence, Upbeat said.
Redundant sensors and dual GNSS receivers improve reliability
Bluemag Pi integrates two independent inertial measurement units, a barometer and dual global navigation satellite system receivers with sensor-fusion software that cross-checks readings, producing stable altitude, attitude and velocity estimates even if a single sensor drifts or fails. The board streams telemetry via a MAVLink radio link, accepts input from standard remote-control receivers, and drives motors through an integrated four-in-one electronic speed controller.
Platform runs Apache NuttX and supports PX4, ArduPilot, Betaflight
Bluemag Pi runs the Apache NuttX real-time operating system and is compatible with PX4, ArduPilot and Betaflight flight-control stacks. With suitable hardware and firmware integration, the UP301 platform supports manual, stabilized, altitude-hold, position-hold, mission, return-to-home and autonomous flight modes.
Drone Dynamics cites easy integration for advanced UAV development
"We chose Upbeat's Bluemag Pi flight control board over standard solutions because it's remarkably easy to integrate yet built with the real-time performance and robust feature set advanced drone development demands," said Steven Yen, Founder and CEO of Drone Dynamics.
Board available now; standalone UP301 chip offered for custom carrier designs
Bluemag Pi is available as a standard board supporting secondary development for custom flight algorithms, or customers can purchase the UP301 chip directly to design proprietary carrier boards. The product is available for purchase now on Upbeat Technology's website.
Upbeat to demonstrate Bluemag Pi at CEATEC 2026 in Chiba, Japan
Upbeat will showcase Bluemag Pi at CEATEC 2026, running October 13-16 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, at booth 7H215-01, alongside humanoid robotic hands and headphones. The company will also attend TAITRONICS & AIoT Taiwan, October 20-22, at booth J0102.