An open-source framework for advanced flight simulation systems, supporting digital twins and hardware-in-the-loop integration.
HEADLESS-FS is our current working title – and yes, it’s a bit of a joke. After all, who needs a fancy graphical interface when all the real magic happens in the backend? The name also doubles as an acronym:
"Hybrid Engine for Aircraft Dynamics and Live Environmental Simulation Support"
or, if you prefer,
"Highly Extensible Architecture for Dynamics and Live Environmental Simulation Systems."
Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But don’t worry – we're not taking ourselves too seriously here. This project is all about giving developers a flexible, platform-independent foundation for flight simulations. Whether as middleware for existing simulators like X-Plane or MSFS, as a basis for your own experiments, or for integrating digital twins in hardware-in-the-loop setups, HEADLESS-FS aims to free up your mind for new ideas.
HEADLESS-FS is an ambitious open-source initiative designed to provide a highly flexible and modular backend for flight simulation enthusiasts and professionals. Inspired by the needs of developers who require precise dynamics, real-time processing, and seamless integration, HEADLESS-FS focuses on creating a middleware solution that bridges the gap between realism and extensibility.
While the core component is a powerful foundation capable of supporting arbitrary simulations, our primary focus remains on advanced flight simulation systems. This specialization ensures we deliver the best tools and performance for our target audience, without diluting efforts across unrelated domains.
Key features include:
- Modular Architecture: Build complex simulations using independent modules that can simulate specific systems or subsystems, such as redundant ADIRS units or hydraulic systems.
- Digital Twin Support: Create digital twins of aircraft components that can operate independently or connected to physical hardware for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setups.
- Hardware-in-the-Loop Integration: Seamlessly integrate physical hardware with simulated components, enabling real-time testing and validation of aircraft systems.
- Platform Independence: Designed to be compatible with existing simulators like X-Plane or MSFS, as well as for building standalone simulation environments.
- Real-Time Performance: Optimized for real-time simulation of complex aircraft dynamics and environmental systems.
This project is in its early planning phase. A detailed specification document is being drafted, and the first proof-of-concept is in the works. Stay tuned for updates as we develop the core components and share our progress with the community.
- Provide a Modular and Extensible Backend: Create a flexible architecture that allows developers to build and integrate various simulation modules.
- Enable Digital Twins and HIL Setups: Support the simulation of individual components as digital twins, which can be connected to physical hardware for testing and development.
- Offer Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly interface with existing simulators like X-Plane or MSFS, as well as other simulation environments.
- Real-Time Simulation: Ensure real-time processing for complex aircraft dynamics and environmental systems.
- Platform Independence: Build a foundation that is not tied to any specific operating system or simulator platform.
- Foundation for Arbitrary Simulations: While not our primary target market, the core component is designed to be robust and flexible enough to support a wide range of simulation types.
- Component Simulation Modules: Simulate specific aircraft systems or subsystems, such as flight management systems (FMS), navigation systems, or hydraulic systems.
- Digital Twin Functionality: Create accurate digital replicas of physical components for development and testing.
- Hardware-in-the-Loop Integration: Connect simulation modules with actual hardware devices (e.g., Raspberry Pi, embedded systems) for realistic testing scenarios.
- Flexible Networking: Transparent network communication allows modules to operate on the same host or distributed across multiple hosts, facilitating scalability and integration.
- Developer Tools and SDKs: Provide tools and software development kits for building, testing, and validating simulation models.
- Versatile Core Component: A powerful core designed to handle various simulation demands, making it a potential foundation for simulations beyond flight systems.
Use HEADLESS-FS as a backend to enhance existing simulators like X-Plane or MSFS, providing more detailed and customizable aircraft dynamics and systems.
Build your own simulation environment tailored to specific research or development needs, using HEADLESS-FS as the core simulation engine.
Simulate individual aircraft components as digital twins, allowing for isolated testing and development. Connect these modules to physical hardware for hardware-in-the-Loop testing.
Model and test redundant systems (e.g., multiple ADIRS units) by running parallel simulation modules that process the same environmental data independently, ensuring consistency and reliability.
Want to contribute or follow our progress? Start by "watching" this repository and stay tuned for updates!
- Join the Discussion: Participate in our GitHub Discussions and share your ideas.
- Contribute Code: Help us build the core components, modules, and tools.
- Provide Feedback: Let us know what features are important to you.
This project will be released under an open-source license. The specific license will be confirmed in due course. See the LICENSE file for details.
For more information or inquiries, please reach out to the project maintainers at info@headless-fs.org.
Our future plans include:
- Implementation of Blade-Element Models: For detailed aerodynamic force calculations.
- Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) Integration: To coordinate cyclic and acyclic processes, ensuring real-time performance even on resource-constrained systems.
- Platform-Specific Demonstrators: Including a full simulator running on a Raspberry Pi to showcase efficiency and hardware integration capabilities.
- Expansion Beyond Flight Simulations: While our focus is on flight systems, we recognize the potential of our core component as a foundation for arbitrary simulations. We plan to explore and document how HEADLESS-FS can be adapted for other simulation types, providing guidance for those interested, even though it's not our primary target market.
- Enhanced Developer Tools: Develop comprehensive SDKs and tools to simplify the creation and integration of simulation modules.
- Community Engagement: Foster a strong developer community to contribute to and expand the project's capabilities.
Stay tuned for more updates as we progress on these exciting developments!
Special thanks to all our contributors and the open-source community for their support and collaboration.