Michael Znachonok
ACTIVE R&D

Talos Unmanned Systems

An independent UAV R&D venture: planned-path autonomy software built and tested end to end, alongside a sensor-integrated quadrotor platform now in design.

Role
Founder & Independent UAV Developer
Duration
February 2026 – Present
Org/Client
Talos Unmanned Systems (independent UAV R&D, Charlottesville, VA)
Tools
Python, C++, MAVLink
Talos system diagram: mission planning, telemetry, and the in-design sensor platform A Python MAVLink mission planner on the ground uploads planned flight paths, labeled mission upload MAVLink, to a quadcopter flight controller. The flight controller connects over a telemetry-radio link to C++ telemetry and logging software that receives GPS, orientation, and velocity data. A separate, dashed sensor-platform block, tagged in design, lists a LiDAR array, RGB-D camera, Raspberry Pi 5 8GB, and AI accelerator intended for future integration. Python MAVLink mission planner (ground) mission upload (MAVLink) Quadcopter flight controller telemetry-radio link C++ telemetry & logging (GPS, orientation, velocity) Sensor platform IN DESIGN LiDAR array RGB-D camera Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB) AI accelerator
Tested data flow (solid arrows) from ground mission planning to onboard telemetry, and the sensor platform now in design (dashed).

Objective

Build and test planned-path autonomy software for a quadcopter platform, and design a sensor-integrated quadrotor R&D platform for future environmental-response experiments.

What I made

Tested

  • Built and tested a Python MAVLink mission-planning UI that creates and uploads planned autonomous flight paths to a quadcopter flight controller.
  • Built C++ telemetry and logging tooling that receives GPS, orientation, and velocity data through a telemetry-radio link.

In design

  • Designing a quadrotor R&D platform intended to integrate a LiDAR array, RGB-D camera, Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB), and AI accelerator for environmental-response experiments.
  • Parametric propeller work is ongoing.

Limitations

The tested flight behavior is planned-path autonomy, not environmental-response autonomy.

Result

Talos is active: the planned-path autonomy software is built and tested, and the sensor-integrated platform is in design.