TrackingPoint is attaching a very sophisticated electronics package to an otherwise standard rifle. The 1800yd range is based on a .338 Lapua round. That round requires a pretty hefty platform to remain stable.
> The controller on a Linux system is the thing which actually pulled the trigger, relying on the operator to hold the rifle in the correct orientation. When it calculated there would be a hit, the computer pulled the trigger.
There are two problems with this on a drone:
First, I don't see any information (understandably) about the allowable limits of muzzle motion for TrackingPoint. I suspect the system is tuned to correct the relatively small oscillations the muzzle goes through in the hands of a human shooter. I would love to see the drone platform that could hold a .338 rifle that steady half a mile in the air.
Second, the system calculates the solution at the point of the trigger pull. There is a brief period between trigger pull and the round exiting the barrel where barrel movement can throw the round off. This is fine if the movement is predictable (as it would be for a trained human). I suspect a drone is going to struggle mightily with a .338's recoil.