Project AirSim
Project AirSim is an open-source, extensible, engine-independent simulation
platform for autonomous systems. Its simulation core and APIs can run in the
lightweight Project AirSim Runtime
without Unreal Engine, or with Unreal Engine 5
when a 3D world, rendered sensors, and environment geometry are required.
Microsoft AirSim → Microsoft Project AirSim → IAMAI Project AirSim
Microsoft developed Project AirSim as the evolution of
AirSim. After Microsoft discontinued
the Project AirSim initiative, engineers who had worked on Microsoft AirSim
and Project AirSim took the initiative to carry the project forward at
IAMAI Consulting Corp.. Today, IAMAI maintains and
extends this open-source project, bringing that engineering experience to its
continued development alongside the community.
Read the Project AirSim announcement in Microsoft's AirSim repository
for the project's origins and Microsoft's acknowledgment of IAMAI's contributions.
Project AirSim provides a modular framework
for drones, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), and other
autonomous systems.
Download the latest release ·
Use a pre-built environment ·
Build from source ·
Read the documentation
Table of Contents
Current Repository Capabilities
The current main branch lets you:
- Create configurable single-vehicle and multi-vehicle simulation scenes.
- Use built-in C++ Fast Physics, JSBSim flight dynamics, Simulink physics
models, or extend the C++ physics layer for custom requirements.
- Use Simple Flight, PX4 in software-in-the-loop (SITL) or
hardware-in-the-loop (HITL), ArduPilot SITL, and manual control workflows.
- Integrate custom controllers, actuators, sensors, and robot models.
- Simulate fixed-wing aircraft with JSBSim, including Cessna 310 and Skywalker
X8 examples.
- Simulate UGVs through Unreal Blueprint vehicle integration, including the
SimpleDrive SUV example.
- Connect autonomy software through Python and C++ client libraries or the ROS 2
C++ bridge.
- Work with cameras, LiDAR, radar, IMU, GPS, barometer, magnetometer, airspeed,
and other configurable sensors.
- Run with Unreal rendering, off-screen rendering, or without rendering for
controller, API, and physics development.
Published binaries may trail the main branch. Check the
release notes to confirm
which capabilities are included in a particular package, and see the
changelog for repository changes.
Choose Your Starting Point
Run a Pre-built Environment
I want to evaluate Project AirSim, launch an environment, and control a
vehicle with Python.
Download a packaged environment from
GitHub Releases, then
follow the pre-built environment guide.
Build and Extend Project AirSim
I want to customize the simulation core, Unreal plugin, vehicles, sensors, or
environments.
Follow the source development guide to build
the simulation libraries, plugin, Blocks environment, and client packages.
Run Without Unreal Engine
I want to run a simulation without Unreal Engine or rendered sensors.
Use Project AirSim Runtime, the
lightweight, engine-independent host. It runs the same SimServer, Project
AirSim physics, controllers, APIs, and non-rendered sensors without requiring
Unreal Engine.
Runtime supports Fast Physics, JSBSim, Simulink physics, flight-controller
workflows, and sensors including GPS, IMU, barometer, magnetometer, and
airspeed. It does not provide cameras, LiDAR, radar, Unreal world meshes, or
general mesh and robot-to-robot collisions. Its host-side collision support is
limited to a flat ground plane for Fast Physics vehicles.
Migrate from AirSim
I have an existing AirSim environment or client workflow.
Start with the AirSim transition guide.
Latest Project Updates
The current main branch contains the changes recorded for Project AirSim
1.0.0, including:
- JSBSim fixed-wing simulation with Cessna 310 and Skywalker X8 examples;
- a standalone C++ client package and ROS 2 C++ bridge;
- GPU LiDAR 360-degree scanning and additional LiDAR validation;
- a Python client
step() API; and
- Project AirSim Runtime and modular scene configurations;
- Blueprint vehicle integration, including SimpleDrive SUV examples; and
- improved build, toolchain, and CI support for Unreal Engine 5.7.
See Project AirSim releases
for the latest published binaries and release notes.
Architecture
Project AirSim has three primary layers:
- Simulation libraries provide the base infrastructure for defining robot
structures, physics, controllers, sensors, and the simulation scene tick
loop.
- Simulation host provides the environment-dependent services. Project
AirSim Runtime offers lightweight engine-independent execution, while the
Unreal Engine plugin adds 3D environments, rendering, mesh interaction, and
rendered sensors.
- Client libraries expose network APIs for loading scenes, controlling
vehicles, and receiving state and sensor data.
For more detail, see the
Project AirSim architecture overview.
Experimental Unity Host Reference
The repository also contains an
experimental Unity host integration composed of a Unity
example project and a native wrapper around the Project AirSim simulation
libraries. It is retained as reference code that demonstrates how another 3D
engine can host the common simulation core.
The Unity integration is not currently maintained, validated, packaged, or
supported by IAMAI and is not part of the supported-platform matrix. Do not
assume compatibility with current Project AirSim or Unity releases.
Key Integrations and Reference Documentation
Supported Development Platforms
The supported development baseline is:
| Component | Supported version or behavior |
|---|
| Linux | Ubuntu 22.04 is the primary supported distribution |
| Windows | Windows 11 with Visual Studio 2022 C++ build tools |
| macOS | Apple Silicon (ARM64), macOS 15 CI: SimLibs Release build/tests and headless Runtime build; see Mac setup and scope |
| Unreal Engine | 5.2, 5.7, or 5.8 |
| CMake and C++ | CMake 3.15 or newer and C++17 |
| Linux compiler | Unreal's packaged toolchain when UE_ROOT is set; otherwise Clang 13 |
| Windows compiler | build.cmd selects MSVC 14.37 for UE 5.2 and MSVC 14.44 for UE 5.7 and 5.8 |
| Python client | Python newer than 3.10, below Python 4 |
| ROS 2 C++ bridge | ROS 2 Humble on Ubuntu 22.04 |
setup_linux_dev_tools.sh recognizes some additional Ubuntu releases, but that
installation logic is not a supported-platform guarantee. Use Ubuntu 22.04 for
the documented and CI-tested Linux development environment.
Hardware requirements are primarily determined by Unreal Engine and the
rendering workload. Review the system specifications
before installing or building the project.
Source Build Overview
The complete and authoritative instructions are in the
source development guide. The basic workflow
is summarized below.
1. Install Unreal Engine
Install Unreal Engine 5.2, 5.7, or 5.8 and set UE_ROOT to its installation path.
On Linux:
export UE_ROOT=/path/to/UnrealEngine
2. Install Linux Development Dependencies
./setup_linux_dev_tools.sh
3. Build the Simulation Libraries
On Linux:
./build.sh simlibs_debug
On Windows, use an x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022:
build.cmd simlibs_debug
4. Generate Project Files
On Linux:
./blocks_genprojfiles_vscode.sh
On Windows:
blocks_genprojfiles_vscode.bat
Open the generated workspace and launch the Unreal Editor in DebugGame mode.
Headless Execution
To run a packaged Unreal environment with off-screen rendering:
Blocks{.exe/.sh} -RenderOffScreen
To disable rendering completely:
Blocks{.exe/.sh} -nullrhi
See headless and cloud execution for
additional configuration details.
Open Source and Professional Services
Project AirSim's simulation core, APIs, configuration system, extension points,
and reference workflows are available publicly under the MIT License. We want
the open-source project to be useful for evaluation, research, development, and
real autonomy workflows.
IAMAI Consulting Corp. maintains and extends the
Project AirSim ecosystem. Drawing on the team's work on Microsoft AirSim and
Project AirSim, IAMAI provides professional services for organizations that need to turn a
prototype into a repeatable simulation or validation workflow.
IAMAI can help with:
- simulation-readiness and architecture assessments;
- PX4, ROS 2, JSBSim, vehicle, sensor, and autonomy-stack integration;
- custom Unreal Engine environments and simulation workflows;
- reproducible scenarios and validated builds; and
- maintained delivery, updates, and engineering support.
If you have an upcoming integration, demonstration, pilot, or validation
milestone, talk to IAMAI about a focused first
engagement.
Community and Contributions
Project AirSim grows through practical use, technical feedback, and community
contributions.
The roadmap is managed through GitHub issues and discussions. Items labeled
roadmap describe
planned direction, while items labeled
need help
identify opportunities for community participation.
Third-Party Interoperability and Licensing
Project AirSim interoperates with third-party engines, libraries, models, and
tools, including JSBSim-compatible aircraft definitions. Those components and
assets remain under their respective licenses.
Before redistributing or extending an integration, review
Project AirSim license information, NOTICE.txt, and the
licenses under thirdparty/Licenses/.
Project AirSim supports JSBSim as one of its options for aircraft flight dynamics.
See Berndt et al. (2026), JSBSim, An Open Source Flight Dynamics Software Library,
Journal of Open Source Software.
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.
Copyright (C) 2025-2026 IAMAI CONSULTING CORP
MIT License
