1 Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Outlook
The global UAV Flight Controllers market is projected to exhibit substantial growth in the coming years, with a CAGR of 8.04% from 2024 to 2033, reaching a total market size of $775.98 million USD in 2024. The UAV flight controller is a circuit board equipped with sensors and is the core part of the drone. It uses sensors and algorithms to convert user input into precise commands that the drone can understand and execute, to monitor and control stable flight. Sensors connected to the flight controller include accelerometer, gyroscope, distance sensor, air pressure sensor, compass sensor, etc. Other components include a processor, blackbox, OSD, and firmware.
Figure Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Size and Growth Rate (2024-2033)
2 UAV Flight Controllers Market Growth Drivers and Constraints
The UAV flight controller market is driven by several key factors, including significant government and investor support for drone technology, particularly in military applications. The U.S. government has heavily invested in military drone technology and is actively developing regulations to facilitate wider drone usage. As a result, the demand for reliable flight control systems with advanced features, such as collision avoidance and emergency landing procedures, is increasing. Additionally, the number of civilian drones is on the rise, with global shipments expected to reach 9.6 million by 2030, driven by their applications in various sectors, including agriculture, logistics, and surveillance. However, the market faces challenges such as strict government regulations regarding safety and privacy, which can restrict drone operations and impose additional requirements on flight controllers. These dynamics create a complex environment for the UAV flight controller market, balancing growth opportunities with regulatory hurdles.
3 UAV Flight Controllers Market M&A Activities
In the UAV flight controllers market, mergers and acquisitions, as well as expansion plans, have played a significant role in shaping the industry landscape. Notably, Shield AI signed a definitive agreement to acquire Martin UAV, enhancing its position in defense-focused edge autonomy by integrating its Hivemind® software into Martin UAV’s V-BAT. AeroVironment completed the acquisition of Tomahawk Robotics, gaining access to their flagship AI-enabled control system, Kinesis, which is widely used across the U.S. DoD and defense industry. Honeywell was selected by AIBOT to provide its Compact Fly-By-Wire system for AIBOT’s electric aircraft, promoting flexible aircraft design and reducing maintenance costs. Edge Group expanded its UAV capabilities through strategic investments and acquisitions, including stakes in various companies like High Lander, SIATT, Etimad, Milrem Robotics, MARS, and Flaris. Airbus Helicopters acquired Aerovel and its Flexrotor program, broadening its UAS portfolio for intelligence and surveillance missions. BAE Systems acquired Malloy Aeronautics, a leader in heavy lift drone technology, to further develop UAS solutions for both civil and military customers. These strategic moves reflect the industry’s ongoing consolidation and expansion efforts, aimed at advancing drone technologies and strengthening market positions.
4 Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Analysis by Type
In 2024, the global UAV flight controllers market revenue and market share by type were distinctly distributed. The Rotary Wing segment generated a revenue of USD 677.48 million, capturing a substantial 87.31% of the total market revenue, while the Fixed-Wing segment contributed USD 98.50 million, accounting for 12.69% of the market share. Together, these two types of UAV flight controllers amassed a combined revenue of USD 775.98 million, underlining their pivotal roles in the industry’s financial landscape for the year.
Table Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Size and Share by Type in 2024
Type | Market Size in 2024 (M USD) | Market Share in 2024 (%) |
|---|---|---|
Rotary Wing | 677.48 | 87.31% |
Fixed-Wing | 98.50 | 12.69% |
5 Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Analysis by Application
In 2024, the global UAV flight controllers market revenue by application was led by the Commercial segment, which generated a revenue of USD 346.23 million, holding a significant share of the market at 44.62%. The Consumer segment followed with a revenue of USD 273.94 million, commanding a 35.30% market share. The Defense segment contributed USD 114.33 million, with a 14.73% market share, while the Dual-Use segment brought in USD 41.48 million, representing 5.35% of the total market revenue. These figures indicate the diverse application areas of UAV flight controllers and their respective market penetrations in 2024.
Table Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Size and Share by Application in 2024
Application | Market Size in 2024 (M USD) | Market Share in 2024 (%) |
|---|---|---|
Consumer | 273.94 | 35.30% |
Commercial | 346.23 | 44.62% |
Defense | 114.33 | 14.73% |
Dual-Use | 41.48 | 5.35% |
6 Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Analysis by Region
In 2024, China continued to dominate the global UAV flight controllers market with a revenue of USD 591.74 million, accounting for a significant 76.26% of the total market share. The United States followed with a revenue of USD 86.57 million, holding an 11.16% share of the market. Canada contributed USD 24.70 million in revenue, capturing 3.18% of the market share. These figures underscore the leading positions of China, the United States, and Canada in the UAV flight controllers market, reflecting their substantial contributions to the industry’s global revenue.
Figure Global UAV Flight Controllers Market Share by Region in 2024
7 Top 3 Companies of Global UAV Flight Controllers Market
7.1 DJI
Company Introduction and Business Overview:
Headquartered in Shenzhen, widely considered China’s Silicon Valley, DJI benefits from direct access to the suppliers, raw materials, and young, creative talent pool necessary for sustained success. Drawing on these resources, DJI has grown from a single small office in 2006 to a global workforce. DJI offices can now be found in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Today, DJI products are redefining industries. Professionals in filmmaking, agriculture, conservation, search and rescue, energy infrastructure, and more trust DJI to bring new perspectives to their work and help them accomplish feats safer, faster, and with greater efficiency than ever before.
Products Offered:
DJI’s N3 flight controller is the latest generation of the NAZA series, designed for a variety of hobbyist and industrial applications. It features a robust flight control algorithm ideal for controlling a broad range of industrial and DIY multirotor aircraft, ensuring professional stability. The N3 is compatible with professional remote controllers and receivers, DJI’s Intelligent ESC, DJI GO, Lightbridge 2, iOSD, and integrates seamlessly with DJI’s Zenmuse series of gimbals and cameras, providing access to various flight applications. It also supports DJI Assistant 2 for industrial applications. The N3 offers dual IMU redundancy, ensuring flight safety by automatically switching to a backup unit in case of IMU failure, and is equipped with an 8GB Industry Black Box for flight data recording. Its expandable navigation module can be upgraded with the A3 Upgrade Kit for increased stability and reliability. The N3 is compatible with DJI’s Onboard and Mobile SDK, allowing for custom software solutions and working with DJI Assistant 2 for a multitude of industrial applications.
Sales Revenue in 2024:
In 2024, DJI achieved a remarkable market performance in the UAV flight controllers segment, with revenues reaching USD 432.01 million, demonstrating their strong position and financial success in the global market for unmanned aerial vehicle flight controllers.
7.2 XAG
Company Introduction and Business Overview:
XAG is a smart agricultural technology company that mainly produces agricultural drones. XAG brings technologies such as drones, robots, autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things into agricultural production. By building an unmanned smart agricultural ecosystem, agriculture has entered the 4.0 era of automation, precision and efficiency.
Products Offered:
The SuperX2 agricultural drone flight control system by XAG is designed for full autonomous flight control, enabling one-click takeoff based on pre-plotted routes and set flight parameters, and automatic flying and landing according to predetermined routes. It features intelligent matching of flight speed and spraying flow rate for precise application tailored to different crops and environments, with the capability to pause spraying during obstacle avoidance and resume at breakpoints. The A1 handheld ground station supports rapid surveying and mapping of irregular land parcels, automating voyage planning, and presetting flight and spraying parameters as needed. The SUPERX2 flight controller is built with industrial-grade components and sensors, resistant to extreme environments, and supports hot-swappable dual power supply, wide voltage input, and built-in UPS power-off protection. Multiple redundant designs ensure the safe and stable flight of the system, making it a multi-rotor flight controller specifically designed for agricultural plant protection, compatible with mainstream 4-, 6-, and 8-axis aircraft in the plant protection industry.
Sales Revenue in 2024:
For the year 2024, XAG is projected to achieve a revenue of 18.40 million USD in the UAV flight controllers market. The projected revenue for 2024 indicates a further expansion of XAG’s market presence and its ability to capitalize on the growing demand for advanced UAV flight control systems.
7.3 Parrot
Company Introduction and Business Overview:
Parrot has become a leading European group in the rapidly growing drone industry. Parrot is an open company. Parrot provides an open Software Development Kit to the developers’ community. It facilitates the implementation of tailored end-to-end solutions for professionals from all different areas. For the first time in the industry, Parrot made our main piloting application FreeFlight7 open-source. And Parrot powerful community creates new drone applications every day.
Today, Parrot has the largest partner ecosystem for professional drones: from enterprise drone platforms, flight logs services (DroneLogbook, Airdata), public safety programs (DroneSense) and advanced mission planning (QGroundControl, UgCS), to media and data cloud platforms (Survae), real time geospatial situational awareness (Rapid Imaging, Textron Systems), surveying and mapping (PIX4D).
Products Offered:
Parrot’s UAV flight controllers are designed for high-performance flights, offering a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio and suitability for both outdoor and indoor missions. These controllers are equipped with a rotating twin sensor for obstacle avoidance and are IPX3 rated, meaning they can withstand rain and winds up to 50.4 km/h during flight. The sensors include a 3-axis gyroscope with a range of ±2000 °/s and a 3-axis accelerometer with a range of ±16g. The magnetometer has a range of ±49.152 G, and the barometer measures from 260 to 1260 hPa. All sensors are temperature regulated to ensure accurate measurements within specific tolerances. The ANAFI Ai flight controller provides easy and intuitive piloting, requiring no training, and supports automation of various flight modes. It uses sensor fusion algorithms to estimate the drone’s attitude, altitude, position, and velocity, which are crucial for stable flight control. The controller employs closed-loop control algorithms to stabilize the drone, making it easier to pilot and operate autonomously.
Sales Revenue in 2024:
Parrot’s UAV flight controllers are expected to generate a revenue of 12.35 million USD in 2024.