Lantronix announced it will debut its Open-Q 8550CS micro SOM (µSOM) and showcase its new Drone Reference Platform at XPONENTIAL 2026, to be held May 11–14, 2026, at Huntington Place in Detroit. The products will be shown in the Qualcomm booth and the Unusual Machines booth.
The Open-Q 8550CS µSOM is NDAA-compliant and powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS8550. It features a compact size, low power draw, support for AI models and multimodal capabilities, an on-device AI Engine with Qualcomm Hexagon Tensor Processor, optimal SWaP design, advanced AI/ML for extreme edge computing, and a scalable design for high-production volumes. These characteristics position it for drone integration.
The Lantronix Drone Reference Platform is powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS8550-based Open-Q 8550CS µSOM. It delivers advanced on-device AI capabilities optimized for autonomous and defense applications. The platform integrates edge compute, sensing, and flight control into a single NDAA- and TAA-compliant solution. It is designed to enable OEMs to move from concept to flight-ready prototype in weeks and is now available for shipment.
Highlights of the Drone Reference Platform include Ubuntu and Yocto Linux development environments, FLIR Integration with 640R and other supported cameras, pre-validated and flight-control integrations with H7, complete reference design and documentation, and an ultra-compact form factor optimized for airborne AI workloads.
Lantronix will host a live demonstration of the Drone Reference Platform on May 12 at the Unusual Machines Booth #20013. The demonstration will feature a live flight system showcasing AI-driven autonomy, sensor fusion, and new AI features on the EO/IR camera for object detection and tracking.
The Drone Reference Platform will also be featured at Unusual Machines Booth #20013, integrated into the company’s H7 Flight Controller to demonstrate interoperability between compute, control, and flight systems.
“The XPONENTIAL showcase underscores our expansion in autonomous systems, drones and defense,” said Saleel Awsare, CEO of Lantronix. “Lantronix is focused on equipping commercial and defense customers with secure, scalable platforms that significantly reduce time to market.”
