In 2017, I joined ARPAC Drones as an embedded systems developer for Brazil’s pioneering agricultural spraying drone startup. ARPAC was developing autonomous UAV solutions for precision agriculture, integrating flight control with dispensing systems for chemical and biological applications.
My role centered on developing the embedded software for autonomous agricultural operations, including flight control, mission planning algorithms, and payload integration to ensure precise application while maintaining stable flight.
Agricultural spraying requires maintaining stable flight while carrying payloads that shift during operation, and precisely controlling flow rates synchronized with ground speed and position to achieve uniform application.
The system generated detailed GPS-based application reports with centimeter-level precision, providing immediate mapping segmented by zone.
The work at ARPAC contributed to autonomous agricultural aviation technology in Brazil. Following the development phase, ARPAC evolved to provide direct spraying services to farmers.
Additional Resources
- Chemical Spraying Applications (in Portuguese)
- Biological Control Applications (in Portuguese)
- Company Evolution Article (in Portuguese)