Western Aero Design

Software Lead · September 2025 — Present

Software Lead – Western Aero Design

Architecting an end-to-end autonomous mission system for a VTOL platform, defining GNC workflows, mission sequencing, and service boundaries across flight and payload subsystems.

Key Responsibilities

• Autonomous Mission System: Architected an end-to-end autonomous mission system for a VTOL platform, defining GNC workflows, mission sequencing, and service boundaries across flight and payload subsystems.
• PX4 Firmware: Developed and customized PX4 firmware, including custom drivers and bootloader modifications, enabling seamless integration of onboard sensors, payload systems, and communication interfaces.
• Telemetry & Command Protocols: Designed and implemented low-latency, secure telemetry and command protocols (custom message schemas over LoRa), enabling real-time coordination between aircraft, payload, and ground station under constrained network conditions.
• Payload System: Engineered a Raspberry Pi–based payload system, integrating motors, sensors, and embedded Linux services; delivered fault-tolerant autonomous deployment with reliable hardware–software interfacing (SPI/I2C/UART).
• SIL/HIL Testing: Led System Integration (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing pipelines, driving iterative debugging, parameter tuning, and root-cause analysis to reduce mission-critical failures.
• Competition Results: 🏆 Achieved 3rd place in Presentation and 4th place in Technical Report at SAE Aero Design 2026 (Tampa, Florida).