Autonomous Vehicle Embedded Software Development

Bring Your AV Concept to Life With Think Circuits

The autonomous vehicle category now includes service robots, delivery platforms, industrial transport units, and aerial systems in addition to passenger cars, and each must think and act on their own. What these vehicles share is the need for real-time intelligence. There are thousands of decisions being made onboard, and local sensors, integrated AI models, and responsive control systems make those decisions possible.

Think Circuits can develop embedded software for these platforms that enable them to interpret surroundings, make autonomous decisions, and move safely. Whether you're building a robotic delivery unit, an urban AV shuttle, or a sensor-guided drone, our engineers are here to help.

Furthermore, we work as collaborators, not just service providers. We will help you arrive at the right questions during the formative stages of the project, like:

• "How do we measure the performance of the robot?"
• "How do we develop metrics that will help us grade safety?"
• "How can we even discern what's possible in terms of machine learning and artificial intelligence?"
• And many others

For a discussion about your product or vision, send us a note. We would be happy to speak with you.

Embedded Systems for Onboard Intelligence

Real-Time Control for Autonomous Driving

Autonomous vehicles need to make precise decisions under time pressure. We support control systems that manage speed, acceleration, steering, and system fallback. Whether the code is built on a real-time operating system or deployed as bare-metal firmware, the execution needs to be consistent and fast. Think Circuits can develop the low-level firmware that helps vehicles stay predictable and responsive in dynamic settings.

We also support behaviors that depend on conditional logic. When systems need to shift between modes such as manual to autonomous, indoor to outdoor, or obstacle present to obstacle cleared, we can build the firmware structure to make those transitions safe and repeatable.

Processing Sensor Data at the Edge

Most autonomous vehicles use multiple sensors to read the world around them. Think Circuits can help fuse that data early in the pipeline. Embedded platforms handle time alignment, noise reduction, and formatting of structured input for AI models or motion planning logic. These pipelines might include radar, LiDAR, vision systems, GPS, and inertial sensors, all coordinated on a processor within the vehicle.

Edge processing reduces latency and allows the system to make decisions locally. For mobile platforms operating in low-connectivity environments, that speed and autonomy can make a measurable difference in reliability.

AI for Embedded Perception and Navigation

Many AV systems now rely on AI to classify road conditions, recognize obstacles, or assess driver state. We can support the development of embedded AI models or help implement and optimize existing ones. Think Circuits works with platforms like NVIDIA Jetson and other edge AI processors to help AV systems run intelligent inference routines in real time.

When an autonomous vehicle needs to react based on what it sees, we can help design embedded vision systems that support those actions. That includes bounding box detection, gesture interpretation, traffic sign recognition, or area segmentation, each tuned for the hardware onboard.

From Models to Real Behavior

Using LLMs and Vision-Language Models in Embedded Robotics

Autonomous systems are beginning to interpret more than just visual or spatial data. Some platforms need to respond to high-level instructions, process language, or connect visual input with semantic context. Think Circuits can help integrate vision-language models (VLM) or LLM-guided behavior into AV platforms. Whether those models run on embedded processors or communicate through local middleware, we can support the system-level logic that puts those insights to use.

Lightweight Inference on Constrained Systems

AV platforms often balance heat, power, and processor availability. We can help restructure AI pipelines to run efficiently within those constraints. That includes model quantization, batch timing, smart memory use, and task scheduling. Our goal is to maintain responsiveness without overwhelming limited hardware.

Visual Navigation and Automated Inspection

Camera input can support automated inspection, parking alignment, sign recognition, curb detection, and infrastructure scanning. Think Circuits can support vision pipelines that process this input directly on the vehicle with minimal delay and high reliability.

Systems We Help Power

Autonomous Road Vehicles

Think Circuits can support the embedded software that governs motion, safety logic, and internal data communication in small passenger AVs, robotic shuttles, or self-guided utility vehicles. We help synchronize subsystems and manage embedded behavior for lane following, dynamic acceleration, and braking response.

Delivery and Service Robotics

Some AV platforms navigate city blocks, sidewalks, or warehouse aisles. We can support the firmware and logic that helps these systems classify surfaces, avoid collisions, and make turn-by-turn decisions without relying on a central server.

UAS and Drone-Based Mobility

We work with teams developing drones and aerial systems that require embedded navigation, sensor fusion, and adaptive control. These platforms must operate independently and safely. Think Circuits can support the embedded software architecture that keeps them airborne and aware of their surroundings.

How Think Circuits Works With You

Embodied AI and Robotics Integration

We work at the intersection of embedded software, machine learning, and control systems. Whether your project calls for integrating a new sensor, executing a model in real time, or building safe behaviors across subsystems, we can help you build the architecture to support it.

Defining Success Early

Teams often know what they want to build, but not how to measure when it's working. Think Circuits can help shape technical requirements early. That includes response times, safety behaviors, performance tolerances, and output accuracy. We aim to align the system with the metrics that matter most.

Hardware and Firmware Aligned

Because we also develop hardware, we write software that respects physical limitations and uses available features efficiently. That coordination reduces errors, improves stability, and keeps the board and code working together throughout development.

Flexible Testing and Validation Support

We support simulation workflows, hardware-in-the-loop validation, and structured debugging. Our code can produce readable logs, support automated testing, and adapt to changes during prototyping and production. This approach helps teams verify performance before real-world deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Autonomous Vehicle Software Development

What Does Embedded Software Do in an Autonomous Vehicle?

Embedded software manages the vehicle's perception, decision-making, and control systems. It collects input from sensors, interprets that information, and triggers physical actions such as steering, braking, or route adjustment. The code must run reliably in real time to maintain both safety and predictability.

What Makes Autonomous Vehicle Software Different From Standard Automotive Code?

Autonomous platforms combine robotics, AI, and embedded control in ways that traditional automotive systems do not. Instead of executing a fixed set of commands, the system must perceive, interpret, and respond to an unpredictable environment. This requires advanced data fusion, machine learning models, and low-latency control loops running directly on embedded hardware.

Can Think Circuits Develop Firmware and Software for Multiple AV Types?

Yes. We work with clients developing ground-based AVs, delivery robots, industrial carriers, and aerial systems. Each uses different sensors and motion control systems, but they share a need for local intelligence and real-time response. Our experience spans all of these categories.

How Early Should Software Be Considered in an AV Project?

Software design should begin alongside hardware and sensor selection. Choices about processors, power systems, and communication buses affect code structure and timing. Our engineers help teams define technical goals early so that both hardware and software evolve in sync.

What Sensors Do You Support for Autonomous Navigation?

We work with LiDAR, radar, cameras, GPS, and inertial measurement units (IMUs). These inputs are fused together to create an accurate model of the vehicle's surroundings. Our embedded systems handle sensor synchronization, noise reduction, and data structuring for perception and control tasks.

How Does Think Circuits Handle Real-Time Control in Vehicles?

We design embedded systems that manage steering, speed, and stability under strict timing requirements. Using real-time operating systems or bare-metal frameworks, we structure code so that control loops execute predictably, even under high processing loads or sensor noise.

Can You Integrate AI for Object Detection and Scene Understanding?

Yes. We implement and optimize neural networks that run on embedded platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson and other edge AI processors. These models classify objects, detect road signs, recognize pedestrians, and interpret environmental context without relying solely on cloud processing.

How Does Edge Computing Improve AV Performance?

Edge computing allows data to be processed directly on the vehicle instead of being sent to remote servers. This minimizes latency and enables faster decision-making, which is critical for safety. We design software pipelines that perform inference, navigation, and sensor fusion locally for immediate response.

Can Think Circuits Help With Vision-Language Models or LLM Integration?

Yes. We can integrate emerging AI models that interpret natural language or connect visual input to semantic meaning. These capabilities allow autonomous systems to follow complex instructions or recognize higher-level patterns, expanding what onboard intelligence can achieve.

How Do You Optimize AI Pipelines for Limited Hardware?

We restructure models through quantization, pruning, and efficient scheduling to make them run on smaller processors. Our engineers balance memory use, compute cycles, and temperature constraints so the system remains responsive without overloading the hardware.

What Safety Considerations Go Into AV Software Development?

Safety is built into every stage. We define operating limits, fallback states, and watchdog systems that maintain control even if a sensor fails. Testing includes edge cases such as partial communication loss or inconsistent data, and our software handles those conditions gracefully.

How Is Simulation Used During Testing?

Simulation allows us to test behavior in thousands of virtual scenarios before deployment. We use hardware-in-the-loop setups and sensor simulation to verify code timing, control stability, and decision accuracy. This accelerates development and reduces the risk of field failures.

Do You Work With Open-Source Frameworks Like ROS?

We do. Our engineers integrate and extend frameworks such as ROS2, PX4, and custom middleware for communication between subsystems. These frameworks provide modularity, but we refine them for deterministic timing and efficient data exchange within embedded constraints.

What Programming Languages and Tools Are Used?

We use C, C++, and Python for embedded and AI development, and occasionally Rust for safety-critical systems. Our toolchains include TensorRT, OpenCV, and real-time scheduling frameworks tailored to the hardware platform. Every project uses the most efficient combination of tools for its constraints.

How Can We Begin an AV Software Project With Think Circuits?

You can contact us to schedule a technical discussion. We'll review your vehicle concept, hardware configuration, and development goals. From there, we create a detailed plan outlining software architecture, testing strategy, and milestones to bring your AV system from concept to real operation.

Ready To Move From Idea to Physical Reality

Autonomous platforms need to think, adapt, and respond under real-world constraints. Think Circuits can help you develop embedded systems that give your AV concept the intelligence it needs to operate safely and reliably. If your project depends on edge computing, perception, and real-time control, we're ready to help you move it forward.