Embedded Systems and Firmware| Drooid Internship — DARPA Lift Challenge Sprint| OS Engineer, AI Researcher,Robot Engineer

Internship Posting — Defense Robotics R&D (DARPA Lift Challenge)

Drooid — Autonomous Micro-Swarm Systems

Location: On-site (Airbnb-based team housing; see Logistics)
Duration: 2-Month Intensive Sprint
Compensation: Unpaid (Pre-funding DoD R&D Venture)
Clearance Required: None

Overview

Drooid develops micro-scale autonomous swarms for reconnaissance, breaching, and high-risk mission automation. Our aerial ornithopters and ground crawlers are palm-sized, low-cost, and expendable, allowing operators to deploy dozens to hundreds of units simultaneously without the risk or noise of traditional drones. Using onboard AI, mesh networking, and a unified command interface, Drooid swarms can map environments, locate threats, clear rooms, or secure perimeters with minimal operator input. Drooid brings next-generation autonomy to the tactical edge — delivering capabilities previously reserved for much larger, more expensive unmanned systems.

Drooid is assembling a small, high-performance engineering cohort to participate in an accelerated R&D effort aligned with the DARPA Lift Challenge. This internship offers hands-on exposure to advanced autonomous systems, novel mobility platforms, and rapid-prototyping workflows typical of early-stage defense innovation.

Mission & Objectives

Interns will contribute to core R&D tasks in support of the DARPA Lift Challenge, including:

• Development of micro-scale lift, propulsion, and control systems
• Integration of onboard compute, sensing, and autonomy modules
• Swarm coordination algorithms and multi-agent behavior design
• Mechanical, electrical, and embedded system prototyping
• Field testing, data collection, and iterative refinement

This program is best suited for individuals seeking direct involvement in mission-driven, national-security-relevant robotics research.

Position Details

This internship is designed as an intensive on-site engineering sprint. Key details:

• Compensation: Unpaid. Drooid is currently in a pre-funding phase.
• Environment: High-tempo, hands-on prototyping environment.
• Commitment: Full-time availability for the entire 2-month period.
• Work Style: Small-team, founder-led, rapid iteration cycles.

Interns will gain exposure to the full lifecycle of defense-grade R&D: concept exploration, subsystem design, prototyping, integration, and evaluation.

Logistics & Living Arrangements

To support operational cohesion:

• Founder will coordinate group meals and maintain availability of food and essential supplies.
• The work environment will resemble a temporary innovation detachment—tight-knit, mission-focused, and execution-oriented.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess strong foundational skills(we dont actually give a shit about your college degree, the less formal learning the better) in one or more of the following domains:

• Robotics or Mechatronics
• Aerospace / Aeronautical Engineering
• Mechanical Design, CAD, and Fabrication
• Electrical Engineering / PCB Design
• Embedded Systems and Firmware
• Computer Vision, Autonomy, or Control Theory
• Applied AI / Multi-Agent Systems
• MEMS, micro-flight, or bio-inspired robotics (preferred but not required)

Attributes Expected

• High resilience and willingness to operate in a demanding R&D environment
• Strong bias toward execution and hands-on problem solving
• Adaptability in ambiguous or rapidly evolving technical contexts
• Commitment to teamwork and mission-oriented collaboration

Benefits & Outcomes

Although unpaid, this internship provides:

• Direct participation in a DARPA-aligned research challenge
• Experience developing systems intended for real-world defense applications
• Opportunity to contribute to foundational technology at the earliest stage of a defense robotics venture
• Significant ownership over technical subsystems
• Priority consideration for future funded roles as Drooid scales