Thomas Gubler
Head Of Software at Hexagon Robotics
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Summary
🤩
Rockstar🎓
Top SchoolThomas Gubler is a software leader and robotics engineer with 13 years of experience building avionics, simulation, and embedded systems, currently Head of Software at Hexagon Robotics in Zurich. An ETH Zurich MSc in Mechanical Engineering (Robotics Systems and Control), he has led multi‑disciplinary teams at Auterion and Hexagon AB, scaling engineering organizations and shipping combined hardware–software products. Technically hands‑on, Thomas has deep contributions to open-source UAV projects like QGroundControl, MAVLink and RotorS—improving HIL simulation fidelity, sensor handling, and KML export tools for drone flight visualization. He blends low‑level embedded expertise (sensor fusion, strapdown equations, flight control) with product and DevOps experience, having owned CI and simulation frameworks at GoPro. Known for cleaning up and integrating complex codebases, he often focuses on practical fidelity improvements that reveal subtle sensor and modeling issues. Based in Zurich, he pairs strategic roadmap ownership with continued technical contributions to the UAV ecosystem.
13 years of coding experience
8 years of employment as a software developer
MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering (Robotics Systems and Control), MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering (Robotics Systems and Control) at ETH Zürich
Github Skills (27)
kml10
c-language10
gazebosim10
python10
simulator10
mavlink10
kalman-filter10
sys10
embedded10
cprogramming-language10
ros10
gazebo-simulator10
drones9
sensor-fusion9
file-access9
Programming languages (15)
Github contributions (5)
mavlink/mavlink
Dec 2013 - Aug 2018
Marshalling / communication library for drones.
Role in this project:
Back-end Developer
Back-end DeveloperContributions:55 commits, 1 PR, 1 push in 4 years 8 months
Contributions summary:Thomas significantly contributed to the `pymavlink/mavlink` repository by implementing and refactoring tools, particularly `mavkml.py`. Their work focused on enhancing the functionality of `mavkml.py` for exporting GPS data to KML files, enabling visualization of drone flight paths. The user implemented features such as linestring representations, colored plots based on state, and altitude adjustments within the generated KML files. Additionally, the user improved code style and help messages.
communication-librarydronescommunicationmarshalling
mavlink/qgroundcontrol
Oct 2012 - Nov 2018
Cross-platform ground control station for drones (Android, iOS, Mac OS, Linux, Windows)
Role in this project:Embedded Systems Engineer / IoT Developer
Embedded Systems Engineer / IoT DeveloperContributions:172 commits, 4 PRs, 8 pushes in 6 years 2 months
Contributions summary:Thomas contributed to the integration of FlightGear hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation with QGroundControl, enhancing its capabilities for drone control and testing. They implemented support for different aircraft models, including the Rascal airplane, and addressed issues with the flight control interface. Furthermore, they improved the communication protocol by handling nan values and corrected barometer offset, ensuring more accurate sensor data within the simulation environment. These changes included implementing a distance sensor, further improving fidelity for simulated data within the system.
linux-osios-androidiosdroneground
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