Launch your UAV from concept to sky faster and smarter

Introducing Anymah: Development of our ultra-light flight controller for next-generation nano UAVs


By Aditya

/

March 10, 2025

We're proud to announce the development of the Wint Anymah flight controller - an ultra-light, compact, and high-performance solution designed specifically for next-generation micro UAVs. This sophisticated flight controller is being entirely designed and manufactured in India, embodying our philosophy of "Making in India, Making for the World."

This blog is the first in a series which logs the development journey of the flight controller, and aims to provide an introduction to the features, scope, timeline and market requirement for such a controller.

Advanced capabilities in a compact design


The Anymah controller delivers exceptional functionality within dimensions under 31mm×31mm, providing UAV developers with a complete solution for the most space-constrained applications. This compact form factor integrates comprehensive features -

  • Dual 6-axis IMUs for redundancy and superior vibration resistance
  • High-precision barometer for altitude control
  • 3-axis magnetometer for accurate heading estimation
  • USB-C connectivity for modern interface compatibility
  • Micro SD Card logging for comprehensive flight data analysis and blackbox
  • Support for telemetry, IBUS/SBUS, and GPS inputs
  • 8-12 PWM channels for versatile motor/servo control
  • Expansion ports for CAN, SPI, UART peripherals
  • Addressable RGB LED support for status indication
  • Customized control system, firmware with secure bootloader and encrypted communication

Design decisions that enhance reliability


We've made several critical design choices based on real-world operational needs -

Dual IMU Redundancy: The Inertial Measurement Unit is the most critical sensor in flight control. Unlike other sensors, IMU failure is catastrophic, and therefore gets priority in a size-constrainted design.

A barometer or magnetometer failure may reduce altitude precision or slight yaw-drift, but won't cause a crash. IMU failure, however, immediately compromises the control system, leading to loss of the UAV.

This redundancy is particularly vital for operations in populated areas or sensitive zones where failure is not an option.

Micro SD Card vs. Onboard Flash: While seemingly counterintuitive for a size-optimized design, our choice of removable SD storage over integrated flash memory serves two practical purposes -

  • Crash survivability: In the event of a crash that damages the flight controller, data on integrated flash would be inaccessible. A Micro SD card can be recovered and analyzed separately, preserving critical flight data for post-incident analysis.
  • Operational flexibility: SD cards offer greater storage capacity for extended mission logging and can be easily swapped in the field, allowing immediate redeployment without data download delays.

These design decisions reflect our focus on creating not just a technically advanced flight controller, but one that addresses the practical operational challenges of micro UAV deployments in demanding environments.

The significance behind "Anymah"


The name "Anymah" derives from the Sanskrit term animā - representing the supernatural ability to reduce one's size. This ancient concept, one of the 8 siddhis (supernatural abilities) from Indian philosophy, perfectly encapsulates our design philosophy: exceptional power in minimal space.

In Hindu mythology, this ability was notably utilized by Lord Hanuman during the Ramayana for missions requiring extreme precision and stealth - precisely the qualities our flight controller delivers to micro UAVs.

Beyond technical specifications, this name honors our Indian heritage while signifying our global vision - indigenous technology crafted in India for worldwide deployment.

Addressing a critical market gap


The Indian UAV market is experiencing remarkable growth, valued at $1.77 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $4 billion by 2033 with a CAGR of 9.5%[1]. While initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and the National Drone Policy are accelerating indigenous drone development, a significant gap remains in specialized flight controllers for micro and nano UAVs.

Critical applications in surveillance, and tactical operations require miniaturized flight controllers that meet stringent performance and certification requirements. Currently, most of these applications rely heavily on imported components, creating vulnerabilities in the supply chain, increasing costs, and complicating compliance with regulations.

While many Indian companies focus on larger Pixhawk-inspired designs for agricultural/industrial applications, the Anymah addresses the unmet need for ultra-compact controllers that meet military-grade specifications. Our solution enables UAV manufacturers to focus on their core applications while reducing dependency on imports - aligning perfectly with India's strategic push for self-reliance in critical aerospace technology.

Our methodical development approach


Rather than rushing to market with an untested design, we're implementing a comprehensive, methodical development process that ensures exceptional reliability and performance. The process is divided into the following broad phases -

1. Component selection & evaluation board/kit design


In this phase, components are selected to fill the various roles on the flight controller, and an evaluation board/kit is designed to test each component individually. The evaluation boards are meticulously designed, fabricated and assembled right here in India, and allows us to -

  • Test multiple sensor options to identify the best-fit for different use cases
  • Ensure components meet our stringent performance and durability requirements
  • Create reusable testing platforms that accelerate future product development beyond this project

2. Unit testing & characterization


In this phase, the evaluation boards/kits designed in the first phase are tested in isolation with software libraries developed in-house. This includes all the sensors MCU, and other peripherals. This allows us to -

  • Reduce time to isolate and identify design faults from weeks to potentially hours
  • Eliminate uncertainty by validating each component's performance before integration
  • Develop optimized driver software for each component without encountering the complexity of the entire system
  • Reuse these evaluation boards for future projects, creating long-term cost and time savings

Why is unit testing critical?
While it seems faster to immediately design a complete flight controller, experience has taught us otherwise. By individually testing each component on PCBs of our own design, we can quickly isolate unexpected behavior and fix them, which is tremendously faster and cheaper compared to troubleshooting them in a fully integrated system.

3. Integration testing


In this phase, the units tested (and validated) in the previous phase are put together in a single system, connected using breadboards and wires, to verify integrability and handle edge-cases. This allows us to -

  • Discover unexpected edge cases like signal interference between components
  • Verify power requirements when all systems are operating simultaneously
  • Validate communication protocols across multiple integrated circuits
  • Prevent costly PCB iterations by identifying design flaws before fabrication

Why can't we go from unit testing to the final design right away?
Integration testing reveals critical interactions between components that aren't visible during unit testing. Problems identified at this stage could require complete redesigns if discovered only after fabricating the final flight controller, and a single testing cycle can save us weeks of waiting for fabrication and significant expense.

4. Control system development & flight testing


In this phase, the final flight controller is designed, fabricated and tested in multiple real-world UAV platforms. The following steps are performed -

  • Fine-tune control algorithms for various flight scenarios and UAV configurations
  • Develop and validate failsafe mechanisms for critical failure modes
  • Optimize power management for extended mission durations
  • Gather comprehensive flight data for continuous improvement

5. Compliance & certification


In this phase, the finalized design undergoes third-party testing to verify compliance with -

  • EMI/EMC standards for critical and high-performance applications
  • Environmental durability requirements (temperature, humidity, vibration)
  • Safety and performance standards specific to micro UAVs
  • Quality assurance processes for reliability in mission-critical applications

This systematic approach significantly reduces development risks while ensuring the final product meets the exacting standards required for professional applications. Our experience shows that this methodical process ultimately delivers a more reliable product faster and more cost-effectively than attempting to create the final design in a single step.

Commitment to excellence


At Wint, we're developing an indigenous solution that addresses a critical gap in India's aerospace capabilities while setting a global standard for micro UAV flight controllers. The Anymah represents our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in miniaturized flight control systems while maintaining unwavering standards of quality and reliability.

As we progress through each development phase, we'll continue to share insights and milestones, building credibility and providing transparency into our engineering process. You can contact us at aerowint.com/contact or write to our founders directly at aditya@aerowint.com or milind@aerowint.com.

The future of micro UAVs demands innovative solutions that maximize capabilities while minimizing size and weight. With the Anymah flight controller, we're contributing to India's technological self-reliance while creating a product designed to excel in global markets.

Sources


[1] https://www.ey.com/en_in/insights/government-public-sector/how-india-can-become-the-drone-hub-of-the-world-by-2030