Based on your “tiny oil platform” style craft (high drag, low speed ~1 mph, differential thrust likely), a good approach is to use a proven open-source marine autopilot + a marine data bus + a separate monitoring/automation layer. Below are practical, mostly open-source options that have strong communities.
| Option | Why it’s useful | Differential thrust steering | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArduPilot (Rover/Boat) | Mature, widely used open-source autopilot with strong failsafes, tuning tools, telemetry, and mission planning. Works well for “slow craft” and can do hold/loiter-style behaviors (GPS dependent). | Yes. Supports motor mixing concepts (commonly used for skid-steer/boats). Often the easiest path for differential thrust + heading/track control. |
https://ardupilot.org/ GitHub: ArduPilot |
| pypilot | Open-source marine autopilot used in DIY sailboats/motorboats. Good if you want to tinker in Python and integrate with marine stacks. | Possible. You can modify/extend for differential thrust by outputting two thrust commands instead of a rudder servo. Expect more custom work compared to ArduPilot. | https://github.com/pypilot/pypilot |
| PX4 | Excellent open-source autopilot (more common in drones/VTOL). Marine support exists but is typically less “boat-centric” than ArduPilot for hobbyist marine builds. | Depends. Can be made to work, but ArduPilot usually has more established boat patterns and docs. |
https://px4.io/ GitHub: PX4 |
| Component | What it does | Links |
|---|---|---|
| OpenPlotter | Raspberry Pi-focused marine navigation distribution that can bundle Signal K, OpenCPN, pypilot integration, GPS/AIS tooling, etc. Great “starter platform” for a DIY seastead helm computer. | https://openplotter.readthedocs.io/ |
| Signal K | Open marine data server: normalize and share data (NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000 via gateways, sensors, custom JSON) to multiple apps (dashboards, logging, alarms). |
https://signalk.org/ GitHub: Signal K server |
| OpenCPN | Open-source chartplotter / navigation UI. Useful as your “helm display” with routes, AIS overlays, etc. | https://opencpn.org/ |
| gpsd | Standard Linux GPS daemon used by many navigation apps. Helpful if you’re wiring GPS modules directly to Linux. | https://gpsd.gitlab.io/gpsd/ |
For a platform-like craft, “operations” is often more about alarms + power + bilge + comms + health monitoring than it is about high-speed navigation.
| Tool | Best for | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Node-RED | Glue logic between systems (Signal K, MQTT, HTTP, Modbus, GPIO). Great for alarms like: “if battery < X and no sun, reduce thrust” or “if water sensor trips, alert + start pump”. | https://nodered.org/ |
| Home Assistant | Strong UI for sensors, automations, notifications. Often used on boats for “smart vessel” monitoring. (Not marine-specific, but very practical.) | https://www.home-assistant.io/ |
| MQTT (Mosquitto) | Lightweight messaging for sensors and microcontrollers (ESP32/STM32/etc.). | https://mosquitto.org/ |
| Prometheus + Grafana | Time-series metrics and dashboards (battery voltage, current, temperatures, link quality, CPU load, bilge events). Great for diagnosing issues over weeks/months. |
https://prometheus.io/ https://grafana.com/oss/grafana/ |
thrust_left and thrust_right from heading error (and optionally speed error), with limiters and a deadman/failsafe.If you want, share what sensors you plan to carry (GPS type, IMU/compass placement, anemometer, current sensor, etc.) and how your thrusters accept commands (PWM? CAN? analog?) and I can suggest a more concrete wiring/software pattern.
These are widely used open-source (or open-core) options for an onboard NVR (Network Video Recorder). Most support ONVIF/RTSP IP cameras, motion detection, and multi-camera views.
| Software | Strengths | Good fit when… | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frigate NVR | Efficient NVR with excellent real-time detection pipeline (can use CPU and/or Coral TPU). Strong ecosystem with Home Assistant. | You want “smart” alerts (person/boat detection), and efficient continuous recording. |
https://frigate.video/ GitHub: Frigate |
| ZoneMinder | Classic, very capable NVR with lots of configuration options and a long history. | You want a battle-tested traditional NVR and don’t mind heavier configuration. |
https://zoneminder.com/ GitHub: ZoneMinder |
| Shinobi (open-source + optional paid features) | Modern web UI, flexible RTSP recording, motion detection, plugins. (Project is “open source,” but some ecosystem bits are commercial.) | You want a sleek UI and quick multi-camera setup; you’re okay with an open-core style project. |
https://shinobi.video/ GitLab: Shinobi |
| motion / motionEye (motionEye is largely unmaintained) | Lightweight motion-triggered recording for simple setups. | You want minimal resource use and basic motion events (and can tolerate less modern UI/maintenance). | GitHub: motion |
| Kerberos.io | Lightweight surveillance and motion detection; can run on embedded systems. | You want something simple and edge-friendly. | GitHub: kerberos |