Software · UAV systems · robotics
I’m Samuel Buenen, a product-focused software developer and commercial UAV pilot in Central Queensland. I work across field software, geospatial systems, aircraft, robotics and embedded hardware.
Where it started
Software was never separate from the physical world for me. The same curiosity moved from code and soldering irons into aircraft, robots, manufacturing and production systems.
I was already coding, soldering and experimenting with microcontrollers and sensors. That hands-on knowledge led to early hardware work at Shepherd Services, initially paid in gift cards, before I moved deeper into software.
I began building drones, fixed-wing aircraft and robots in the same period. I have kept building ever since, using each project to learn mechanics, electronics, control systems and what survives outside a workshop.
3D printing became part of the engineering process, not a hobby on the side. I use Fusion 360 and modified printers to make airframes, mounts, enclosures, gears, actuator parts and practical repairs. That includes more than 20 RC aircraft.
Speedcubing is the non-engineering version of the same instinct. My best home 3×3 single is 7.93 seconds. At Queensland Open 2023, my only WCA competition, I recorded an official 12.72 single and 13.94 average.
Record book
Selected work
My best work sits where software meets physical systems, operational users and imperfect real-world conditions.
Offline-first infrastructure inspection software with GNSS, imagery, mapping and reliable field synchronisation.
Read case study →A ground-up wheeled balancing robot spanning mechanical design, motor control, embedded firmware and fault investigation.
Read case study →More than 20 designed and printed aircraft, spanning a 255 km/h speed wing, two-hour endurance platforms, FPV, autonomy and commercial survey work.
Explore aircraft →Practical YOLO dataset work, annotation review, model iteration and a purpose-built correction tool.
Read case study →An AI missed-call receptionist for small businesses, from voice UX to billing and production infrastructure.
Read case study →A self-hosted Bible typing platform with accounts, progress and durable result saving.
Read case study →Professional work
At Shepherd Services I lead development responsibility for RACAS Mobile, part of a road and infrastructure management ecosystem used by councils across Australia.
AI & engineering
I use AI heavily for research, implementation, debugging, review and automation. It lets me move faster across large codebases and unfamiliar disciplines.
But generated output is not the finished solution. I review architecture and diffs, test runtime behaviour, inspect logs, consider security and failure modes, and make sure I understand the code before I rely on it.
I’m happy to let AI help write the code. I’m still responsible for understanding it.
That judgement matters most where software touches real customers, field crews, aircraft, machines and production systems.
UAV experience spectrum
Evidence, not buzzwords
About me
I’m based near Rockhampton in Central Queensland. I started coding, soldering and experimenting with microcontrollers around age 12, then added aircraft, robotics and 3D printing in 2017. I have been following those threads ever since.
That breadth is useful because real products rarely respect neat job descriptions. I’m comfortable moving between code, data, hardware, users and operations while keeping responsibility for the whole outcome.
Outside work, you’ll usually find me flying or building something, speedcubing, playing guitar at church or teaching karate juniors. My Christian faith shapes how I approach responsibility, service and how I treat people.
Read my résuméGet in touch
I’m open to conversations about software, UAV systems, robotics, field technology and ambitious product work.