Senior Robotics Hardware Engineer (UAVs & Docking)Verified as a real position

Who we’re looking for

• Strong mechanical/mechatronics engineering skills with real shipped hardware, not only research prototypes.
• Excellent 3D modelling tools (CAD, Fusion360 or similar)
• Experience with industrial design
• Hands-on prototyping: 3D printing, workshop tools, fast iteration, debugging physical systems.
• Ability to design systems that survive repeated use: connectors, mounts, retention, wear, vibration, shock.
• Independence: you can take a vague goal, turn it into requirements + design + test plan, and execute.

What you’ll do

• You’ll own the next-generation Prometheus drone hardware and the dock . Your job is to take what a small team prototyped and turn it into something we can confidently put into customers’ hands for industrial inspection / indoor operations , with 24/7 capability via docking + self-charging or automatic battery hot-swap .
• Airframe & endurance Design the next drone iteration focused on meaningfully longer mission time , stability, robustness, and serviceability (current version V1 can be seen here: https://www.goodai.com/swarm-robotics/ ). Drive propulsion/weight/thermal tradeoffs with explicit budgets (mass, power, noise, cooling, crash energy, etc.). Design for close-to-obstacles indoor flight with protections (guards, bump tolerance, maintainability).
• Docking & energy replenishment (core) Own the dock mechanical system and the drone-side interface: precision landing guidance & alignment features contact charging OR inductive charging OR automatic hot-swap interface (your recommended solution) safe retention/locking, E-stop behaviors, fail-safe states Design for repeated cycles, dirt/dust, misalignment, and abuse.
• Hardening for customer environments Turn prototype “works in our observation space” into “works reliably for pilots and customers”: shock/vibration, protective structures, connectors, cable management repairability: fast swap of arms/guards, modular components environmental constraints: dust, temperature, light smoke residue, etc.
• Engineering process (lightweight, but real) Implement DFM/DFA thinking early (fast assembly, reduced part count, reliable fasteners, tolerances). Define acceptance tests, reliability tests, and a “flight hours → failures → fixes” loop. Own suppliers for mechanical parts and iterate rapidly (3D print, CNC, composites—whatever fits). Comfort defining and tracking basic quality metrics (failure rate, repair time, cycle count).

About the position

About the project We’re building Prometheus : autonomous drone swarms designed for GPS-denied and signal-denied environments —with no pilot , no constant radio link , and no external compute . The goal is simple: when drones stop being tools and start being teammates. Instead of “programming missions”, operators state intent— “Search the second floor.” “Map the west wing and find trapped people.” —and the swarm executes, returns to dock, recharges, and continues. We’re now moving from “it works” to reliability, productization, pilots, and real deployments —that’s the phase where great engineering matters most. Example of our work:

Benefits

• 5 weeks’ vacation
• Flexible sick leave
• Modern offices at Oranžerie, Prague — quiet focus zones, beautiful garden, great daylight, quality equipment, bike storage, gym and shower, fully stocked kitchen, lunches prepared by our private chefs
• Regular team breakfasts, workshops, and relaxed meetups (BBQ, game nights, parties, teambuildings)