Alex Helderman

Robotics | IoT | Web Software Developer

Skills

  • Leveraging Robotics Algorithms: ROS, PX4, Kalman Filters, probabilistic robotics, amcl, Cartographer, multi-robot, mapping, Object Detection, GStreamer.
  • Working on Embedded Platforms: STM32, NVIDIA Jetson, NuttX, FreeRTOS.
  • Connecting to Networks: MQTT, CoAP, REST, AWS Lambda, IPv6, HTTP, WebSockets.
  • Accelerating Software Releases: CI, HIL, SIL, Docker, Github Actions, pytest, Google Test.
  • Tooling with Web + Full Stack: FastAPI, Django, React, SQLAlchemy, gcloud.
  • Using the Best Languages/Tools: C++, Python, Bash, C, Linux Services + Networking, Git, AGILE.

Experience

Cultural Immersion and Language Study Project, The Netherlands

October 2023 – December 2023
Learned Dutch to a conversational proficiency by dedicating hours daily over several months. Traveled to the Netherlands for 4 weeks, fully immersing in the culture and practicing language skills with local relatives and residents.

Professional Development Sabbatical, Austin

July 2023 – Present
Advanced my expertise in robotics through a review of the latest developments and review of Kalman filters, control theory, algorithms, and frameworks like qemu, ROS2. Developed a web application for personal trainers, leveraging skills that may be useful for robotics data mining and building internal web tools.

Verge Aero, Austin/Remote – Drone Software Developer for Drone Shows

July 2022 – June 2023
Developed Release Strategy, Built CI, Created Tools, Simplified Firmware.

Ascendant Engineering Solutions, Austin – Embedded Software Engineer for Drones

March 2020 – July 2022
Developed IoT and Robotics Firmware.

SIERA.AI, Austin – Robot Application Software Engineer for Forklifts and Warehouse Robots

June 2019 – March 2020
Global planning, multi-robot traffic management, robotics localization and control, driver development, performed deployments.

Draper (Labs), Cambridge, MA – Embedded Software Engineer II for Drones and Robo-Parachutes

June 2016 – June 2019
Led a team of interns and a senior UI engineer through two projects in developing drone mission control GUIs. Managed software testing strategy on a team of 5 for a drone project including live demonstrations for government officials. Implemented CI as continuous testing in 3 robotics projects. Integrated hardware-in-the-loop flight simulations based on logs collected from flights.

Education

  • Northeastern University, Boston – M.S. Computer Science – August 2019
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester – B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering – May 2016
    Founded the Art and Design Club, developed accessibility wearables, and served as PR Chair to market events for the IEEE student branch.

Feedback From Managers

See LinkedIn for actual quotes.

"Alex is a hardworking individual with a lot of patience to solve tough engineering problems. He has a particularly well-structured approach to analysis and coming up with detailed solutions from the ground up. I was always amazed by his wizardry in bash scripting! He did a great job at [Company Name], and all of us really enjoyed working with him." – Former Manager

"Alex has extensive knowledge in software for embedded applications, including low-level communication interface drivers and protocols like I2C, RS485, RS232, and more. He came up to speed quickly on multiple targets/development environments and navigated existing code bases with ease. Alex has a strong work ethic and great communication skills; he is an overall pleasure to work with!"

Interests

  • Hobbies: Weightlifting, Language-Learning, Hanging Out at Cafes, Watercolor + Sketching.
  • Certifications: FAA Small UAV, OSHA Forklift, OSHA 10-hour, Texas Boater Education.

More Keywords...

ROS, ROS2, OpenCL, OpenGL, C++, PX4, Gazebo, Qemu, Robot Localization through EKF / MSCKF, SLAM, AMCL, Google Cartographer, Creating Global and Local Planning algorithms, Motion Capture Systems, Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Graphs, Geometrics, C++ std), uncrustify, Git + Gitlab + Github, Agile, Atlassian Suite (BitBucket, Confluence, Jira), Slack (including webhooks), SVN, redmine, SmartBear, MagicDraw, pydantic, typer (python CLIs), google-cloud-storage, Django, NextJS, Flask, Apache, Common Gateway Interface, AngularJS, Bootstrap, HTML5, Canvas, p5.js, STM32CubeIDE, Qt GUIs, MATLAB, MySQL, postgreSQL, sqlite3, redis, Google Cloud Storage, mongo.db, EEPROM, GPS Drivers, IoT Devices, Signal Processing and Digital Filtering, RS485, I2C, SPI, Modbus, TCP, CAN, Itron, MQTT, CoAP, UDP/TCP over IP, STM32, Atmel, Qualcomm Snapdragon, MSP430, NVIDIA Jetson TX2, Raspberry Pi, Cyclone II FPGA, gdb, valgrind, qemu, CI, Embedded Systems, C++, C, Python, Creating linux, systemd services, VNC, crons, network proxies, nmcli, fstab, setup, FreeRTOS, NuttX, Linaro, BusyBox, RHEL, PuTTY, Toolchain tools (gcc, ar, ld, nm), Ubuntu Snaps, dpkg, tar, Google Test, unittest, robot_framework, pytest, cpplint, log-based simulations airsim for testing.