Fernando Vela Hidalgo

Portfolio

Senior Software Engineer - R&D Robotic Engineer

I bridge research and production through full-stack development, embedded systems, and hardware integration for autonomous platforms. My work spans LiDAR/camera perception pipelines, real-time control systems, backend services, and frontend interfaces. Coordinating across software, hardware, and team workflows for UAVs and intelligent vehicles.

Flight ControlROS2LiDAR DetectionCamera PerceptionEmbedded RTOS

5+

Years of experience

Spain · Germany

Regions worked

Flight Control - PX4 - Research - FreeRTOS - ROS2 - Sensor Fusion - SLAM - Perception - CAN Bus - UAV Systems - Autonomous Vehicles - LIDAR - Camera - Development - AI - Automation - Real-time - Robotics -Flight Control - PX4 - Research - FreeRTOS - ROS2 - Sensor Fusion - SLAM - Perception - CAN Bus - UAV Systems - Autonomous Vehicles - LIDAR - Camera - Development - AI - Automation - Real-time - Robotics -

Profile

Robotics engineer specialized in autonomy stack integration and lead-level technical ownership for production-grade autonomous systems.

My work spans embedded systems development (STM32, ARM, FreeRTOS/NuttX),flight control software (PX4, ArduPilot), and perception pipelines integrating LiDAR, cameras, and multi-sensor fusion. I architect and implement real-time software stacks for autonomous UAVs and intelligent vehicles, bridging low-level firmware with high-level autonomy behaviors.

I focus on production-ready reliability: system-level debugging, hardware-software integration, validation frameworks, and safety-critical design. My approach combines research rigor with engineering pragmatism, delivering deployable solutions for real-world autonomous operations across Europe.

Experience

Senior Software Engineer - UAV Systems

Beagle Systems - Sep 2025 - Present · Full-time - Hamburg, Germany

Design, develop, and optimize flight control, perception, and embedded software for long-range UAVs, enabling safe and scalable BVLOS operations across Europe.

  • Architect, develop, and maintain the full UAV software stack, spanning low-level firmware, middleware, and high-level embedded applications on STM32 and ARM-based systems. Work extensively with embedded computing platforms, optimizing performance across constrained hardware and heterogeneous architectures.
  • Design and implement flight control systems for fixed-wing and VTOL platforms, focusing on safety-critical performance, robustness, and fault tolerance. Contribute to and extend open-source autopilot frameworks (PX4, ArduPilot), improving modularity, performance, and system reliability.
  • Develop and integrate perception pipelines using LiDAR, cameras, and onboard sensors for real-time environmental awareness and autonomous decision-making. Implement real-time data processing and sensor fusion under RTOS environments (FreeRTOS, NuttX), ensuring deterministic and low-latency behavior.
  • Integrate, validate, and debug hardware-software interfaces (USB, SPI, I2C, CAN, SDIO), ensuring reliable communication across avionics and sensor subsystems. Perform system-level debugging and root-cause analysis, resolving complex issues across firmware, hardware, and distributed components.
  • Define and document system and software architectures, enabling scalability, maintainability, and clean interfaces across subsystems. Develop internal tooling, simulation environments, and automated testing frameworks for validation and continuous integration of UAV systems.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, perception, systems, operations) to align software with mission requirements and improve overall performance. Drive continuous improvement in software quality, reliability, and engineering processes within safety-critical environments.

Impact: Enhanced autonomous flight capabilities through tight integration of perception, control, and embedded systems. Increased system reliability and reduced failure rates via structured debugging and validation methodologies. Contributed to scalable UAV platforms ready for long-range autonomous operations in real-world environments.

Research Engineer - Autonomous Vehicle Technologies

Autonomous Mobility and Perception Lab (AMPL) - Aug 2023 - Jul 2025 · Full-time - Madrid, Spain

Design and development of perception systems, sensor architectures, and AI-driven solutions for autonomous and connected vehicles.

  • Designed and implemented perception systems using computer vision and machine learning for environment detection and scene understanding. Built and validated AI models for real-time perception in dynamic scenarios.
  • Developed mapping and localization algorithms for intelligent vehicle navigation. Contributed to the architecture and design of autonomous systems, including sensor layouts and real-time data processing pipelines.
  • Performed integration, setup, calibration, and validation of sensor systems (LiDAR, cameras, IMU, GNSS) in real-world environments. Defined data structures and pipelines for efficient acquisition and processing of multimodal sensor data.
  • Designed algorithms for data verification, validation, and security, ensuring robustness in safety-critical systems. Developed proof-of-concept solutions and use cases for connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) environments.
  • Contributed to hybrid mobility systems, integrating connected and automated vehicles in mixed environments.

Impact: Improved perception accuracy and robustness through optimized sensor integration and system design. Enabled scalable architectures for real-time autonomous driving systems. Bridged research and engineering by delivering deployable, validated solutions.

Technical Bid Engineer - Internship

Serveo - Sep 2022 - Mar 2023 - Madrid, Spain

Supported the design and delivery of technical and economic proposals for large-scale public-sector projects across smart infrastructure domains.

  • Designed end-to-end technical solutions for public tenders in Smart Cities, Smart Energy, Smart Buildings, and Transport Systems. Structured and coordinated bid strategies, ensuring timely and high-quality proposal submissions.
  • Integrated advanced technologies into proposals, including Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), Computer Vision and AI-based video analytics, IoT platforms and data-driven services, and Cloud ecosystems (Azure, AWS, GCP). Positioned digitalization technologies including automation, robotics, digital twins, and augmented reality in competitive public tenders.
  • Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams and partners to align technical capabilities with client requirements.

Impact: Strengthened the technological positioning of proposals in competitive public tenders and contributed to delivering innovation-driven, high-value infrastructure solutions.

Robotics, Programming and 3D Design Instructor

The Creative Minds Education - Dec 2020 - Jul 2022 - Madrid, Spain

Taught robotics, programming, and 3D design to students, fostering technical skills and creative problem-solving.

  • Delivered hands-on robotics and programming courses, covering topics from basic electronics to autonomous systems. Developed curriculum materials and practical exercises aligned with student learning objectives.
  • Guided students through the design, prototyping, and fabrication process using CAD tools and 3D printing technologies. Emphasized iterative design thinking and real-world engineering workflows.
  • Mentored students in project-based learning environments, supporting technical development and problem-solving skills.

Impact: Enabled students to develop foundational skills in robotics and digital fabrication, building confidence in STEM disciplines through applied, hands-on learning experiences.

Self-Development Projects

Skills

Core Skills

  • Embedded Systems (C/C++, ARM, STM32)
  • Low-level & high-level software integration
  • Real-Time Systems (FreeRTOS, NuttX)
  • Hardware-software integration & debugging

Technical Skills

  • Python
  • C/C++
  • ROS/ROS2
  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow
  • OpenCV
  • MATLAB
  • Simulink
  • C#
  • JavaScript
  • Backend APIs
  • Web interfaces

Achievements

2025

Master Thesis: Vehicle Immersion System

Immersive VR interaction platform for autonomous and teleoperated vehicle workflows.

2023

Final Degree Thesis: Miniature Autonomous Vehicle

End-to-end design and implementation of a working miniature autonomous mobility system.

2019

1st Place - ASTI Robotics Competition

Awarded for robotics innovation, implementation quality, and technical execution.

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Young Researchers Finalist (Complutense)

Recognized for technical research contribution and experimental rigor.

Additional Strengths

  • Technical leadership in multidisciplinary teams
  • System architecture from prototype to production
  • Clear technical documentation and stakeholder communication
  • Experiment design, validation, and iterative optimization
  • Cross-functional collaboration and knowledge transfer
  • Adaptability to dynamic project requirements and constraints

Capability Signals

LiDAR and Camera Detection

Sensor Calibration and Synchronization

ROS2 and Real-time Integration

CAN/FlexRay and Low-level Comms

System Validation and Observability

Technical Leadership and Execution

Education

Master's Degree in Robotics and Automation

Master thesis: Vehicle Immersion System / immersive VR platform for real-time interaction (10/10).

Languages

Spanish (native)English (C1)German (A2)

Contact

Let's collaborate on autonomy and robotics systems.

Available for international opportunities in advanced robotics and intelligent mobility.