Topic summary: This internship centers on the full-stack development of a compact quadrotor drone for indoor robotics research. The project involves designing a platform with full low-level control access, programmable in Python and C++, to facilitate advanced research in control systems.
Aim: The goal is to design, build, and validate a fully functional drone prototype. The system must connect to a standard WiFi router to transmit telemetry and receive commands from a ground station, while running custom C++ flight control firmware onboard. Experiments will be implemented in the indoor flight arena in CentraleSupélec.
Required skills:
- Embedded C/C++: Strong proficiency in microcontroller programming, memory management, and real-time constraints.
- Microcontrollers: Hands-on experience with embedded platforms (e.g., ESP32, STM32).
- Control theory: Theoretical and practical understanding of dynamic systems modelling, sensor fusion, PID and more advanced controllers, etc.
- Electronics: Fundamental skills in soldering, wiring, and circuit debugging.
- Bonus Assets: Familiarity with digital communication (I2C, UART), quadcopter dynamics, UDP networking, ROS 2, and microROS.
Internship description: The intern will own the complete development cycle of the platform:
- Hardware integration: Assemble the system, including the ESP32 microcontroller, IMU sensors, brushless motors, ESCs, LiPo battery, and airframe.
- Firmware development: Implement real-time flight control in C++. This includes sensor data acquisition, attitude estimation, stabilization, motor mixing, and UDP communication (WiFi Station mode).
- Ground station software: Develop a Python-based interface for high-level control, handling joystick/keyboard input, command transmission, and real-time data visualization.
- Testing & tuning: Perform bench tests and flight trials to tune controller parameters, implement safety features (e.g., failsafe on connection loss).
- Documentation: Produce a comprehensive build guide, wiring schematics, and code documentation.
Supervisors: Aarsh Thakker, Cristina Stoica, Riccardo Bonalli
Lab: L2S, CentraleSupélec, Université Paris-Sacla
Address: 3 rue Joliot Curie, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Apply Here: https://limesurvey.centralesupelec.fr/index.php/881669?lang=en?ref=gdr-macs
General Information : 6 months internship (Master level) starting from February/March 2026
References:
[1] ESP32 Technical Reference Manual https://www.espressif.com/en/support/documents/technical-documents
[2] S. Bouabdallah, P. Murrieri and R. Siegwart, "Design and control of an indoor micro quadrotor," IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2004. Proceedings. ICRA '04. 2004, New Orleans, LA, USA, 2004, pp. 4393-4398 Vol.5, https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOT.2004.1302409
[3] R. Mahony, V. Kumar and P. Corke, "Multirotor Aerial Vehicles: Modeling, Estimation, and Control of Quadrotor," in IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 20-32, Sept. 2012, https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2012.2206474
