Drone Systems Consultant – Custom Ground Vehicle & Quadcopter Projects

# Drone Systems Consultant – Custom Ground Vehicle & Quadcopter Projects Looking for an experienced drone systems engineer/consultant to provide technical guidance for several custom unmanned vehicle projects. This is **not** a beginner or learning project. Specifically looking for someone who has **already designed, built, and deployed custom drones or robotic vehicles using off-the-shelf components** and can help avoid costly mistakes by recommending proven architectures, hardware, and integration approaches. ## Projects The initial projects include: * Custom quadcopter * Custom ground-based robotic vehicle (UGV) Both platforms should eventually support: * RC remote control * Internet/LTE/5G remote operation * Autonomous waypoint navigation * Autonomous patrol mode * Live HD video streaming * Live audio streaming * Weather-resistant design suitable for outdoor use * Modular hardware for future expansion ## Technology The preference is to build using: * Recent ArduPilot (4.5 or newer) * Pixhawk or CubePilot flight controllers * MAVLink ecosystem * Companion computers (Jetson, Raspberry Pi, or similar) * Modern GPS, RTK, telemetry radios, LTE/5G communications, cameras, and sensors * Off-the-shelf, commercially available hardware with good long-term support Software customization and application development will be handled in-house. This role is focused primarily on **system architecture, hardware selection, integration guidance, design reviews, and best practices**, rather than implementing application software. ## Looking For You should have significant hands-on experience with several of the following: * Designing custom ArduPilot-based drones * Building autonomous quadcopters and/or UGVs * Pixhawk or CubePilot flight controllers * MAVLink communications * GPS, RTK, compass, telemetry, and radio systems * Companion computers (Jetson, Raspberry Pi, etc.) * LTE/5G or Internet-based remote operation * FPV and digital video systems * Outdoor/weather-resistant hardware design * Power systems, batteries, ESCs, motors, and propulsion * Mission planning and autonomous navigation * Hardware integration and troubleshooting Experience with custom robotics, autonomous vehicles, or commercial UAV systems is a strong plus. ## Engagement Initially this will be a consulting engagement consisting of: * Architecture discussions * Hardware recommendations before purchases * Design reviews * Integration guidance * Troubleshooting sessions as development progresses The expectation is a few hours at a time as needed, not full-time development. If the collaboration goes well, there is potential for a longer-term consulting relationship across multiple drone and autonomous robotics projects. ## When Applying Please include: * A brief summary of your experience * Examples of custom drone or UGV projects you've built * Your specific role on those projects * Technologies used (ArduPilot, PX4, CubePilot, Pixhawk, MAVLink, Jetson, Raspberry Pi, LTE, etc.) * Links to photos, videos, GitHub repositories, or documentation (if available) * Your hourly rate and availability **Important:** Please only apply if you have hands-on experience designing and integrating custom autonomous vehicle systems. Experience limited to flying or operating commercial drones (DJI, Autel, Skydio, etc.) without custom hardware integration is not sufficient for this role.