COMPUTE NODE

The lean, headless worker

A compute node is the lean sibling of the Workstation. It runs the same agent services and the same World Engine compute service with no interface: a headless box on the LAN that takes reconstruction and perception jobs and returns results. Today it runs on its own, as its own master. Available as the World Engine extension. Joining a master as a worker is in development.

See the cluster View on GitHub

0UI

Headless

8092

Job API port

Node, its own master

Lean

Sibling of Workstation

THE IDEA

A worker, not a console

The Workstation is the operator's own machine, the one you sit at and run Mission Control on. The compute node keeps the same services and drops the interface: a machine that does the heavy math and hands the answer back.

What a worker does

Job inthrough the job API

reconstruct or detectdataset attached

Run on the GPUheadless, no UI

splat / cloud / meshor object detection

Result outback to the caller

world model or detections

A compute node has no operator interface. It receives a job through the job API, runs it on its accelerator, and returns the result.

NAMING

Workstation vs compute node

Both profiles start the same services and install the World Engine by default. The difference is intent: the Workstation is the operator's whole machine and typically the master, the compute node is a stripped-down box that exists to add capacity.

	Workstation	Compute node
Intended box	Operator's own machine	Headless box on the LAN
World Engine compute service	✓	✓
Mission Control on the same box	✓
Flight controller, radio, camera
Cluster position	Master (typical)	Worker, in development

Intended box

WorkstationOperator's own machine

Compute nodeHeadless box on the LAN

World Engine compute service

Workstation✓

Compute node✓

Mission Control on the same box

Workstation✓

Compute node

Flight controller, radio, camera

Workstation

Compute node

Cluster position

WorkstationMaster (typical)

Compute nodeWorker, in development

SET ONE UP

Install, then point drones at it

The installer turns the World Engine on for the compute profile. Drones find the node on mDNS, or you pin its address on networks where multicast does not reach.

One install command

Install the agent with the compute profile on Linux. Reconstruction calls COLMAP and a splat trainer on the host, and perception offload needs ffmpeg.

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/altnautica/ADOSDroneAgent/main/scripts/install.sh \
  | sudo bash -s -- --profile compute

Defaults

Set through environment variables on the node service.

Worker slots1
Job API0.0.0.0:8092
Finished jobs kept24 hours
mDNS advert_ados-compute._tcp

A compute node sits on the LAN and takes the heavy jobs.

EXPLORE

OverviewThe operator's machine: compute, control, and every surfaceLearn more Atlas ForgeThe reconstruction workbench: process, view, stream, testLearn more ClusterMaster and worker compute cluster with job offloadLearn more Direct LinkA laptop as the ground station over a USB long-range radioLearn more

Scale reconstruction across many machines

Compute nodes are designed to join a master and add throughput. Read how the cluster schedules work.

See the cluster