Innovative Robotic Aircraft to Fly at AUVSI Competition

A Simon Fraser University research team will test its robotic aircraft at this week’s international competition at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the 10th annual Student Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) Competition which takes place from June 13 to 17. The main competition is on Friday and Saturday.

Dubbed Team GUARDIAN, the Mechatronics Systems Engineering program student team had some last-minute problem with their modified scale-model craft. This Team GUARDIAN is among the 29 teams involved in the competition. Two other teams are from Canada and others are from Turkey and India.

The AUVSI competition will inspire innovative technology followed by encouraging students to design, develop and demonstrate a system that can achieve independent, specific aerial operation.

Team GUARDIAN possesses a pair of small aircraft, of which one is under construction and the other ready for execution. The aircrafts are capable of autonomous flight, performing specific tasks.

The team won the second place at a national contest in Southport, Manitoba during early May. The Maryland competition is the team’s first international contest.

E-Flite Apprentice is their competing aircraft, which is a purchased off-the-shelf model. It is expected to fly a maximum distance of 1km at the competition and will aim at labelled, coloured targets on the ground, while remaining beyond “no-fly” zones.

Established in 2010, the team has new members in it. Last spring, the team competed for the first time in the Quebec-based national contest, winning an honourable mention.

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