Drone Developer Intern

A Drone Developer for agricultural spraying designs, builds, and maintains unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) optimized for precision pesticide, fertilizer, and nutrient spraying on farms. They integrate hardware, software, and sensors to ensure accuracy, safety, and efficiency in agricultural operations.

Core Roles and Responsibilities1. Drone Design and Development

• Design and prototype UAVs suited for agricultural spraying (payload, range, endurance, stability).
• Develop aerodynamic frames capable of carrying liquid payloads.
• Optimize weight distribution, rotor configuration, and battery efficiency for longer flight time.
• Integrate spray tanks, nozzles, and pumps into the drone structure.

2. Hardware Integration

• Select and integrate appropriate motors, ESCs, flight controllers, GPS, and sensors.
• Calibrate flow meters, pressure sensors, and altitude sensors for uniform spraying.
• Work with RTK-GPS and LiDAR for precision mapping and height control.
• Ensure robust payload mounting and fluid dynamics for liquid spraying systems.

3. Software and Control Systems

• Develop or customize flight control software (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot) for autonomous operation.
• Create algorithms for:
• Path planning and area coverage
• Variable rate spraying (based on crop density or NDVI data)
• Obstacle avoidance and terrain following
• Integrate with mobile apps or ground control stations for mission planning.

4. Data and Sensor Integration

• Incorporate multispectral or thermal cameras for crop health analysis.
• Process field data to guide automated spraying zones.
• Develop APIs for integration with farm management systems.

5. Testing and Calibration

• Conduct bench and field testing for flight stability, spray accuracy, and system reliability.
• Validate flow rate, droplet size, and coverage area under different conditions.
• Troubleshoot and fine-tune hardware and firmware for performance improvement.

6. Safety, Compliance, and Maintenance

• Ensure drone design adheres to DGCA / FAA / local UAV regulations.
• Implement fail-safe mechanisms (auto-return, low battery alerts, GPS loss handling).
• Maintain maintenance schedules, spare parts inventory, and flight logs.
• Ensure safe chemical handling and spray drift control practices.

7. Collaboration and Documentation

• Work with agronomists, AI engineers, and GIS experts for precision agriculture applications.
• Prepare technical documentation, manuals, and training guides for operators.
• Support customer deployment, pilot training, and field troubleshooting.

Preferred Skills

• Expertise in UAV hardware, electronics, and control systems
• Proficiency in C/C++, Python, ROS, or embedded systems programming
• Knowledge of aerodynamics, mechatronics, and fluid dynamics
• Experience with GIS mapping, RTK systems, and agriculture sensors
• Familiarity with AI-based precision spraying and computer vision

Job Types: Part-time, Internship
Contract length: 6 months

Pay: ₹15,000.00 per month

Expected hours: No less than 4 per week

Work Location: In person