Flight GUI User Manual¶

Overview¶

The Flight GUI is a control interface for FlyingNode Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). This application enables operators to monitor, control, and manage FlyingNode operations remotely.

Installation¶

Download the latest release for your operating system from the Flight GUI Releases page.

macOS: Download and open the .dmg file, then drag the app to your Applications folder
Windows: Download and run the .exe installer
Linux: Download the .AppImage or .deb package for your distribution

Quick Start Guide¶

Initial Setup¶

Launch Application
Open the Flight GUI application
Network Requirements
Ensure your FlyingNode is on the same network as your computer
Verify the robot-agent is installed on the FlyingNode
For remote networks, use Tailscale for connection
Connect to FlyingNode
The app automatically discovers available FlyingNodes on startup
Use the vehicle dropdown (right sidebar, below FlyingNode illustration)
Select your desired FlyingNode from the list
Verify Connection
The adapter status indicators (bottom right) will turn green
Real-time data will begin displaying

Interface Overview¶

Layout¶

The application has a two-column layout:

Left: Map, depth chart, and ROS log panel
Right sidebar: Vehicle stats, mode badge, actuator visualization, vehicle selector, and emergency stop

Command Dialog¶

Access all commands quickly using keyboard shortcuts:

Windows / Linux: Ctrl + K
Mac: ⌘ + K

Navigate using arrow keys or search by typing command names.

From top to bottom:

Stats: Depth, Heading, Pitch, Roll with current values
Mode Badge: Current operating mode — click to change mode
Actuator Visualization: Real-time SVG showing thruster directions/intensities and moving mass position
Vehicle Selector: Dropdown to select the active vehicle
Emergency Stop: Large button showing thruster state — click to stop thrusters

Left Column¶

Map: Real-time vehicle position, history trail, markers, and waypoints
Depth Chart: Time-series graph of depth history
ROS Log Panel: Expandable panel showing vehicle system logs, filterable by level (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, FATAL)

Adapter Status Indicators (Bottom Right)¶

Icons show connection health for each adapter (Foxglove, Acoustic, Ranger). Each indicator shows:

Green: Adapter alive and receiving data
Grey: Adapter not connected or no recent data
Time display: Seconds since last update

Safety Leash System¶

⚠️ CRITICAL: Thrusters require an active safety leash to operate. This prevents accidental activation and provides emergency shutdown capability.

Leash States¶

Grey — Not registered
Blue — Registered but not transmitting
Green — Active (transmitting RUN signal)
Red — Emergency stop

Setting Up a Leash¶

Open Leash Manager
Press ⌘ + L (Mac) / Ctrl + L (Windows/Linux), or
Use the Command Dialog and search for "Manage Leash"
Configure Timeout
Select a timeout period (1–255 seconds) before registering
Timeout cannot be changed once the leash is registered
Register Leash
Click Register for your chosen adapter
Confirm registration in the popup dialog
Start Transmitting
Click Start to begin transmitting the RUN signal (Green)
Click Stop to pause transmission while keeping registration (Blue)

Multiple adapters (Foxglove/Tether, Acoustic, Ranger) can each have independent leashes.

Leash Requirements for Thruster Operation¶

Thrusters will only operate when ALL conditions are met:

✅ At least one leash transmitting RUN signal
✅ No leashes transmitting STOP signal
✅ Operating mode allows thrusters (Flight or Test modes)

Emergency Stop¶

Location: Bottom of right sidebar
Active Thrusters: Yellow background with rotating propeller animations
Emergency Stop: Click the button (or ⌘ + E / Ctrl + E) to immediately stop thrusters
Requirement: GUI must have a registered leash for emergency stop to function

Operating Modes¶

Change modes via the Command Dialog (Ctrl/⌘ + K) or by clicking the mode badge on the right sidebar.

Mode	Purpose	Thruster Status
Storage	Vehicle in storage/transport	Disabled
Deck	Pre-deployment setup	Disabled
Flight	Normal underwater operations	Enabled
Test	System testing and diagnostics	Limited to 10%
Seabed	Landed on ocean floor	Disabled
Safe	Emergency/fault condition	Disabled
Maintenance	Service and repair operations	Not used

Mission Management¶

Starting Missions¶

Press ⌘ + G (Mac) / Ctrl + G (Windows/Linux), or open the Command Dialog and search for "Start Mission"
Select "Get Available Missions" (⌘ + R / Ctrl + R) to refresh the mission list if needed
Choose the desired mission from the list
Confirm mission start

Stopping Missions¶

Press ⌘ + S (Mac) / Ctrl + S (Windows/Linux), or use the Command Dialog and search for "Stop Mission".

Mission Status¶

The mission task overlay (top of map) shows:

Current task name and status
Elapsed time since the last status change
Color coding: Yellow (disconnected), Grey (idle), Lime (running), Sky blue (complete)

Note: Always ensure safe operating conditions before starting missions.

Playback¶

The Flight GUI supports replaying recorded MCAP files.

Select a playback vehicle from the vehicle dropdown (indicated by a play icon)
Use ⌘ + P (Mac) / Ctrl + P (Windows/Linux) to start or stop playback, or use the playback controls that appear in the top-right of the map
All map history, charts, and status indicators update as if connected to a live vehicle

Map Features¶

Vehicle Visualization¶

Heading: Direction of arrow on the vehicle marker
Pitch: Level bar inside the circular marker, rotated by pitch angle
Position History: Trail showing the vehicle path
USBL Fix: Cyan cross markers at each USBL position fix

Markers¶

Add Markers: Double-click anywhere on the map to place a marker
Marker Popup: Click a marker to see options:
Copy coordinates to clipboard
Set Vehicle Starting Position (useful without USBL)
Set Map Center
Delete the marker
Move Markers: Drag to reposition

Waypoints¶

Add Waypoints: ⌘ + W (Mac) / Ctrl + W (Windows/Linux), or use the Command Dialog
Clear Waypoints: ⌘ + Shift + W / Ctrl + Shift + W
Each waypoint has a name and depth value; click to view details

History¶

Clear History: ⌘ + Shift + C / Ctrl + Shift + C, or via the Command Dialog

Pan: Click and drag
Zoom: Mouse wheel or zoom controls
Center: Click the center button (top-right) to focus on vehicle

Actuator Feedback¶

The FlyingNode illustration provides real-time visualization of:

Thrusters: Direction and intensity
Moving Mass: Position and orientation

Discovery & Settings¶

Open Settings with ⌘ + , (Mac) / Ctrl + , (Windows/Linux).

Discovery Targets¶

Configure how the app scans for vehicles:

Static Hosts: Specific IP addresses and ports
CIDR Subnet: Scan a subnet range with a specified port
Local Network: Scan the local network on a specified port

Each target can be named, prioritized, given a refresh interval, and enabled or disabled. Previously discovered vehicles are cached and reconnect quickly on restart.

Note: Changes to discovery settings require an app restart to take effect.

Troubleshooting¶

Thruster Problems¶

Won't Enable: Verify leash status and operating mode
Emergency Stop Not Working: Ensure a leash is registered in the current GUI session
Limited Power: Check if in Test mode (10% limit)

Connection Problems¶

Vehicle Not Appearing: Check network connection and that robot-agent is running on the vehicle; verify discovery targets in Settings
Adapter Status Grey: Check vehicle network reachability; the time shown next to the icon indicates seconds since last data was received

Performance Issues¶

Slow Updates: Check network bandwidth and latency
Map Not Loading: Verify internet connection for map tiles
GUI Freezing: Wait briefly (up to 1 minute) then restart the application

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Action	Windows / Linux	Mac
Command Dialog	`Ctrl + K`	`⌘ + K`
Manage Leash	`Ctrl + L`	`⌘ + L`
Emergency Stop	`Ctrl + E`	`⌘ + E`
Start Mission	`Ctrl + G`	`⌘ + G`
Stop Mission	`Ctrl + S`	`⌘ + S`
Get Available Missions	`Ctrl + R`	`⌘ + R`
Playback Start/Stop	`Ctrl + P`	`⌘ + P`
Add Waypoints	`Ctrl + W`	`⌘ + W`
Clear Waypoints	`Ctrl + Shift + W`	`⌘ + Shift + W`
Clear Map History	`Ctrl + Shift + C`	`⌘ + Shift + C`
Settings	`Ctrl + ,`	`⌘ + ,`