QUT and CSIRO Announce New International UAV Challenge

By Caroline Rees / 23 Feb 2015

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

QUT & CSIRO UAV ChallengeQueensland University of Technology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency, have announced their next international unmanned aircraft challenge, UAV Challenge Medical Express 2016.

The previous UAV Challenge, held in 2014, tasked entrants with designing and creating an UAV that could deliver an emergency package to a hiker lost in the outback.

Announcing UAV Challenge Medical Express 2016 at an unmanned systems conference associated with the Avalon Airshow, event co-ordinator Dennis Frousheger said the 2016 challenge was designed to push UAV technology to the limit.

“It’s unlikely that traditional fixed-wing unmanned aircraft or small multi-rotor vehicles will be capable of meeting this challenge – new hybrid flying robots will probably be required,” said Mr Frousheger, an engineer in CSIRO’s Digital Productivity Flagship.

“This time, our hapless bushwalker is stuck in a clearing in the Australian Outback, surrounded by floodwaters, and his doctors have requested an urgent blood sample be sent to them. He’s found his way to a clearing and has emailed his GPS coordinates.”

“Joe’s located in an area surrounded by obstacles so teams will need to develop systems capable of understanding the landing site, and plan and execute a landing – all of this at a distance of at least 10kms from their location.”

To complete the mission, teams will need to deploy an aircraft from a small town outside the flooded area and have it fly autonomously for at least 10km to find Outback Joe. The robot aircraft must locate Joe and automatically land nearby. After Joe places his blood sample into the aircraft, it must take off and fly quickly back to the town.

UAV Challenge co-founder Professor Jonathan Roberts, a QUT robotics expert with the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation, is not expecting a winner in the first year of the new competition – but is happy to be proven wrong.

“It took eight years to save Joe in our Outback Rescue competition – that’s with more than 2,000 people from 350 teams working on the problem and sharing their knowledge,” Professor Roberts said. “We’re expecting many of those teams to take up the medical express challenge, along with others keen to push the envelope for UAV capabilities. The prize for saving Joe will again be AU$50,000.”

The competition will take place in September 2016 in Outback Queensland, Australia.

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Most Read Articles on UST This Week

Here’s our round-up of the five most read articles on UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com this week

Feb 14, 2025
FlyingBasket to Discuss Drone Industry Challenges at XPO Europe

FlyingBasket CTO Matthias Moroder will join a panel at Xponential Europe to discuss the regulatory and market challenges hindering drone industry growth, and the importance of collaboration for wider adoption

Feb 14, 2025
Advanced EFI Engines for Commercial & Industrial Drones

INF Inject's 2- and 4-stroke EFI engines can be provided with a range of options such as alternators, starter-alternators and generators

Feb 14, 2025
SDO 50 UAV Completes Long-Distance BVLOS Pipeline Inspection

SwissDrones’ SDO 50 UAV has successfully carried out a 550-kilometer BVLOS pipeline inspection in Queensland, providing precise, actionable data while maintaining high safety standards

Feb 14, 2025
Enhancing Unmanned System Reliability with SCS Silicone Conformal Coatings

Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) provides advanced conformal coating solutions to protect unmanned systems’ electronics from extreme conditions, ensuring durability, reliability, and compliance with evolving industry standards

Feb 14, 2025
Explore Geospatial Tools with Blue Marble at XPONENTIAL Europe

Blue Marble Geographics will showcase advanced geospatial software at XPONENTIAL Europe 2025, featuring live demos of the Global Mapper Suite and advanced geospatial tools

Feb 14, 2025

Featured Content

Military Vehicles to Feature Small Tethered UAS from Elistair

Elistair has secured a €3 million contract to equip military vehicles with tethered UAS, enhancing real-time intelligence and operational awareness

Feb 13, 2025
Ellipse Series Enhanced with Latest Firmware Upgrade

The new firmware update from SBG Systems integrates the latest World Magnetic Model (WMM) to improve navigation precision, even for first-generation Ellipse sensors

Feb 11, 2025
Advanced FOG-Based Inertial Sensing Solutions for Drones & Robotics

Aegiverse's products feature a multi-layered architecture that combines multiple elements into a compact module, providing significant, size, weight and cost reductions

Feb 06, 2025