fix: preserve altitude evidence in drone state API

Author: alireza787b

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ and this project uses simple two-part versioning: `X.Y` (Major.Minor).
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Fixed
+- The drone-side typed `/api/v1/drone/state` response now preserves the
+  communicator's altitude-policy and local-NED fields so GCS can receive
+  relative/local evidence instead of only the MSL position fallback.
 - Fleet status now follows the shared altitude policy and labels relative,
   local, barometric, and MSL frames explicitly instead of showing an MSL
   fallback as an unlabeled relative altitude. Current telemetry now uses

docs/plans/2026-07-27-simurgh-feasibility-checkpoint.md

@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ Fleet status now:
 
 - follows the telemetry altitude policy order (relative/home, local NED, baro,
   then absolute MSL);
+- receives the communicator's altitude-policy and local-NED fields through the
+  typed drone-state API instead of losing them during response serialization;
 - never presents an MSL fallback as an unlabeled relative altitude;
 - labels the displayed frame (`REL`, `LCL`, `BARO`, or `MSL`);
 - calls the current bundle `Flight state` instead of `Final state`;

src/drone_api_server.py

@@ -228,6 +228,22 @@ class DroneStateResponse(BaseModel):
     gps_raw_timestamp_ms: int = 0
     gps_raw_age_ms: Optional[int] = None
     gps_raw_altitude_m: Optional[float] = None
+    # Keep the shared altitude-policy fields in the typed response model.
+    # Pydantic otherwise drops the communicator's relative/local evidence,
+    # leaving GCS with only the MSL ``position_alt`` fallback.
+    altitude_report: Dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+    altitude_display_m: Optional[float] = None
+    altitude_source: Optional[str] = None
+    relative_altitude_m: Optional[float] = None
+    baro_altitude_m: Optional[float] = None
+    baro_timestamp_ms: int = 0
+    baro_age_ms: Optional[int] = None
+    local_position_ok: bool = False
+    local_position_north: float = 0.0
+    local_position_east: float = 0.0
+    local_position_down: float = 0.0
+    local_position_time_boot_ms: int = 0
+    local_position_timestamp_ms: int = 0
     position_source: str = "unavailable"
     position_unavailable_reason: Optional[str] = None
     readiness_status: str = "unknown"

tests/test_drone_api_http.py

@@ -86,6 +86,52 @@ def test_v1_health_survives_ulog_capability_probe_failure(self, test_client, api
         assert data["ulog_capability"]["missing_dependency"] == "ulog_capability_probe_failed"
 
 
+class TestDroneStateTelemetryFields:
+    def test_state_preserves_altitude_policy_evidence(self, api_server):
+        payload = api_server._serialize_drone_state_payload(
+            {
+                "pos_id": 1,
+                "detected_pos_id": 1,
+                "state": 0,
+                "mission": 0,
+                "last_mission": 0,
+                "position_lat": 35.7,
+                "position_long": 51.2,
+                "position_alt": 1298.2,
+                "velocity_north": 0.0,
+                "velocity_east": 0.0,
+                "velocity_down": 0.0,
+                "yaw": 0.0,
+                "battery_voltage": 16.2,
+                "flight_mode": 0,
+                "base_mode": 0,
+                "system_status": 3,
+                "is_armed": False,
+                "is_ready_to_arm": True,
+                "hdop": 0.7,
+                "vdop": 1.1,
+                "gps_fix_type": 3,
+                "satellites_visible": 10,
+                "ip": "172.18.0.2",
+                "update_time": 1732270245,
+                "altitude_report": {
+                    "display_m": 20.2,
+                    "source": "local_ned",
+                    "label": "LCL",
+                    "local_up_m": 20.2,
+                },
+                "altitude_display_m": 20.2,
+                "altitude_source": "local_ned",
+                "relative_altitude_m": None,
+                "local_position_down": -20.2,
+            }
+        )
+
+        assert payload["altitude_report"]["display_m"] == 20.2
+        assert payload["altitude_source"] == "local_ned"
+        assert payload["local_position_down"] == -20.2
+
+
 class TestNodeEnvironment:
     """Test node-local env inspection and mutation endpoints."""