Drone Systems Engineer
Drone Systems Engineer: Build Autonomous Drone Software for a Robotics Startup. A 4–8 weeks Intravarsity career experience (30–50 hours) for school and underg
You'll work remotely with a drone startup to build autonomous flight software. Using simulation environments and the same algorithms used in production drones, you'll implement computer vision, path planning, and obstacle avoidance systems.
Program autonomous drone navigation systems — computer vision, GPS waypoints, obstacle avoidance — working with a robotics startup building delivery drones.
Who it is for
High school, secondary school students & undergraduates. Python basics recommended. Interest in robotics or aviation.
Weekly plan
Week 1: Drone Fundamentals & Simulation
- Meet the drone startup team and understand their autonomous flight stack
- Learn drone physics — lift, thrust, drag, and flight dynamics
- Set up drone simulation environment (AirSim/Gazebo)
- Write your first autonomous waypoint navigation script
Week 2: Computer Vision for Drones
- Implement ground-level object detection from drone cameras
- Build landing zone identification using computer vision
- Create altitude estimation from visual features
- Integrate vision-based navigation with GPS waypoints
Week 3: Autonomous Navigation
- Implement obstacle avoidance using depth sensors and vision
- Build path planning for complex environments with no-fly zones
- Design failsafe behaviors — return-to-home, low battery, GPS loss
- Test autonomous missions in simulation with edge cases
Week 4: Demo & Safety Report
- Run complete autonomous mission demonstrations in simulation
- Write a safety and reliability analysis report
- Present to the drone startup's engineering team and investors
- Receive Proof-of-Work credential and robotics recommendation
What you produce
- Autonomous drone navigation software
- Safety analysis report
- Demo flight videos from simulation
- Drone startup recommendation
- Intravarsity Proof-of-Work credential
Skills
Python, Computer Vision, Drone Simulation, Path Planning, ROS/MAVLink, GPS Navigation, Safety Engineering, Autonomous Systems
Commitment
~5–8 hours/week for 4–8 weeks (30–50 hours total). 100% Virtual — work remotely with a drone startup.