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About Invictron System
Invictron System builds autonomous defense technologies designed to operate reliably in GNSS-denied, GPS-contested, and electronically hostile environments. We develop full-stack solutions for autonomous warfare - intelligent Ground Control Systems, UAV software, and real-time object detection, tracking, and aiming that sharpen situational awareness and decision-making on the battlefield. Led by a team of IIT alumni and mentors, we're on a mission to build sovereign battlefield autonomy for India and cut dependence on imported UAV and drone systems. While defense and aerospace are our core focus, we're also extending these technologies to commercial use cases for broader real-world impact. Invictron is a DPIIT and Udyam-recognized startup, building purpose-built solutions for Indian defense and government agencies.
The Role
We're looking for a UAV Communications Engineer to own the mesh networking and communication stack that keeps our swarms of UAVs talking to each other and to ground control - even when the RF environment is degraded or contested. You'll work at the intersection of Linux networking, mesh protocols, MAVLink, and flight controller integration, and you'll be hands-on with hardware from day one.
If you've tuned batman-adv in the field, extended MAVLink for a real system, or debugged multi-hop wireless links with Wireshark instead of just reading about it, please feel free to apply.
What You'll Work On
- Designing and tuning mesh networking links (batman-adv, OLSR, or similar) across multi-hop wireless UAV formations
- Extending MAVLink or building parallel communication channels for low-bandwidth, high-latency links
- Integrating communication systems with ArduPilot/PX4 companion computers and Pixhawk-class flight controllers
- Working within our ROS2 stack (MAVROS, pub/sub patterns) alongside our existing autonomy modules
- Solving time synchronization challenges across nodes to support formation control
- Deploying and debugging on Jetson/RPi/embedded Linux hardware in real field conditions
What We're Looking For
Mesh Networking / Link Layer
- Strong Linux networking fundamentals (routing, bridging, sockets) - non-negotiable
- Hands-on tuning experience with batman-adv, OLSR, or Wi-Fi mesh protocols - not just theoretical knowledge
- Understanding of latency/bandwidth tradeoffs in multi-hop wireless (OGM intervals, hop penalty, TTL)
- Familiarity with RF/radio hardware - telemetry radios, Wi-Fi modules; SDR or ESP-based exposure is a plus
Protocol & Message Design
- Solid working knowledge of MAVLink - the de facto standard for QGC and Mission Planner
- Experience with serialization/protocol design (Protobuf, custom binary framing) for low-bandwidth links
- Comfort with pub/sub or DDS-style patterns (ROS2 experience is a strong plus)
- Exposure to time synchronization across distributed nodes (PTP, GPS-disciplined clocks)
Flight Control Integration
- Experience with ArduPilot/PX4 companion computer patterns (MAVLink command injection, offboard control)
- Understanding of Pixhawk-class flight controllers and what commands are safe to send programmatically vs. what requires a human in the loop
- ROS2 + MAVROS experience is a big plus
Systems & Debugging
- Experience deploying on Jetson or embedded Linux platforms
- Proficiency with network debugging tools (Wireshark, tcpdump, iperf) - you should be able to read a packet capture and explain what's happening, not just describe it
- Working proficiency in Python and/or C++ for glue code and message handling
Ideal Candidate
Someone with hands-on experience in swarm/mesh networking and UAV system integration with real hardware platforms - not just simulation or coursework. You've broken things in the field, figured out why, and fixed them.
Location: IIT Kanpur | Employment Type: Full-Time
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