Autonomy Engineer - Fixed Wing Planning & Controls

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

About The Position

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios and beyond. About the Role: As an Autonomy Engineer you will contribute to the development and implementation of the core planning & control stack on F10, Skydio’s tailsitter platform. The F10 must reliably operate in the many tailsitter aerodynamic regimes – this coupled with the longer horizon of a faster vehicle makes the planning and control problems challenging and unique.

Requirements

Strong proficiency in C++ and Python in real-time contexts
Experience shipping software that controls real hardware, e.g. aircraft, drones, robots, etc.
Knowledge of aircraft and rotorcraft dynamics
Experience with non-linear optimization
Modern and classical control theory and practice
Strong software engineering fundamentals and a commitment to writing clean, well-designed, maintainable, readable code
Experience collaborating in a larger code base

Responsibilities

Architect, implement, simulate, and flight test new motion planning strategies
Develop, tune, and analyze new flight controllers
Refine and understand the aerodynamic and dynamic model of a tailsitter aircraft using simulated and flight test data
Inform aspects of hardware design such as sensor requirements and aerodynamic control authority through simulation and analysis
Get out of your comfort zone and help across the stack where needed