Internship - UAV Robotics/Mechatronics (Drone Prototyping, Integration & Field Testing)

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Details

Preferred starting date: ASAP

Weekly availability: full-time (5 days/week)

Period: 6 months

Location: Aerospace Innovation Hub, Delft, the Netherlands

About the company

Fiducial is a young but fast-growing deep-tech start-up with big ambitions at the frontier of autonomy, perception, and defence. Currently, we are developing software for advanced on-board UAV situational awareness in military applications. Using low-cost and widely available sensors and compute, our solutions are built for scalability. From there, we plan to develop a line-up of interconnected solutions to safeguard European safety.

Our team consists of engineers that are passionate about the technology and solutions they develop. The only time most of us are not thinking about the technology is when we are asleep, and sometimes even then. Our team members have a background in different fields such as Aerospace Engineering, Computational Science and Engineering, Robotics and Computer Graphics. Our office is located in the Aerospace Innovation Hub, a start-up hub located on the TU Delft campus in the faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

We work closely with top-tier partners, ranging from government agencies and prime contractors to academic research institutes and other start-ups. Our projects span from large tender orders in collaboration with partners to low TRL research with government agencies. Whether through formal R&D programs or rapid prototyping tracks, we operate at the intersection of innovation and deployment.

Your role

If you’ve ever spent a weekend building a drone, tuning a flight controller, soldering a power harness, or figuring out why your FPV setup won’t arm, this internship is literally designed for you.

We’re looking for a hands-on builder who loves working with real hardware:

• wiring sensors

• mounting compute boards

• setting up flight controllers

• testing drones outdoors

• fixing whatever breaks and making it better

If phrases like ArduPilot, PX4, Jetson, ESCs, power distribution, 3D printing, or FPV gear make you smile, you’re the kind of person we want.

This is not a “sit behind a desk” internship. You will be on the drones. You will be in the field. You will fly.

What you’ll do

• Build and integrate hardware onto real drone platforms used in active R&D.

• Work hands-on with flight controllers (ArduPilot) and compute boards (Jetson, Orange Pi).

• Deploy and debug embedded perception software.

• Solder, assemble, and prototype wiring, adapters, mounts, and housings.

• 3D-print parts and quickly turn ideas into working physical prototypes.

• Support and participate in drone flight tests (you’ll fly regularly).

• Troubleshoot issues, iterate fast, and improve our hardware setups.

You’ll see your work fly, literally!

Who you are

• You’ve built or flown drones / RC systems (any level counts).

• You tinker with electronics, FPV, embedded software, or robotics.

• You enjoy making physical things work.

• You like fast iteration and getting your hands dirty.

• Linux doesn’t scare you.

• You are independent, curious, and resourceful.

We don’t care about grades, we care about what you’ve made.

Please include photos/links of:

• your drone builds

• FPV rigs

• electronics projects

• CAD/3D-printed parts

• GitHub repos

• anything that shows you build things

If you’ve ever crashed something, fixed it, and sent it back into the sky - you’ll fit right in.

Requirements

• Enrolled in a relevant study (Aerospace, Robotics, Electrical, Mechatronics, Engineering etc.).

• Linux basics.

• Interest in UAVs, robotics, embedded systems, or autonomy.

• English proficiency.

• Organized and proactive.

Bonus:

driver’s license, drone pilot license, CAD, 3D printing, soldering, or flight experience.

What we offer

• 1000 euro monthly compensation.

• 10 vacation days during internship period.

• (Really) flexible working hours and option to work from home 2 days per week.

• Have a direct and significant influence on highly innovative products.

• The opportunity to iterate quickly with tight feedback loops, close to the product. We are innovating, learning is to be expected.

• Responsibility over the things you implement, you are the expert on what you build.

The application procedure

• If after reading the above you are convinced you are the right person for the job, send us some information about yourself; this can be a resume, website or other source, as long as we get a clear impression of your background and skills.

• We’ll get back to you ASAP. If we feel you could be a fit for the position, we’ll invite you for an informal introduction so we can get to know you, and equally important, you can get to know us. After this, a technical focused interview could follow.

• If at this point we feel you are the person we are looking for, we’ll discuss the specifics (starting date and period).

• Welcome to the team!