Jun 27 2015
They call themselves the UCR Unmanned Aerial Systems, a group of about 20 students from the Bourns College of Engineering at UC Riverside, who participated earlier this month in the 13th annual Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Student Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS) Competition in Maryland.
The 2015 UCR Unmanned Aerial Systems team at the AUVSI Student Unmanned Aerial System Competition in Maryland.
An international competition in which student teams from all over the world are judged based on their system design and performance with technical journal papers, proof-of-flight videos, flight readiness presentations and flight-mission demonstrations.
“The competition focuses on engaging undergraduate students in a challenging mission requiring the design, fabrication and demonstration of a system capable of completing specific aerial operations autonomously,” said Wayne Devereux, the AUVSI chapter vice president.
Of the 55 teams who registered, only 39 teams competed in the 2015 event. Among those 39 teams – UCR placed 10th. Other schools from California competing included Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego, and Cal State Fullerton.
“Our team has gained invaluable experience in our pursuit to further our knowledge in not only autonomous systems, but the collaboration between interdisciplinary students of different majors to work together on an engineering project,” said Daniel Robles, the UCR unmanned aerial systems coordinator.
The 2015 SUAS Overall Winners:
- 1st Place – M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, EDHITHA
- 2nd Place – Israel Institute of Technology, Technion , TAS
- 3rd Place – North Carolina State University (NCSU), Aerial Robotics
- 4th Place – Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania, Phoenix
- 5th Place – University of Toronto, Aeronautics Team
- 6th Place – Anadolu University, Turkey; Team Devrim
- 7th Place – Université de Sherbrooke, VAMUdeS
- 8th Place – Munich University of Applied Sciences, Team SAM
- 9th Place – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, ANDRONE
- 10th Place – University of California, Riverside, Unmanned Aerial Systems
This is only the second year UCR has participated in the competition. Last year The UC Riverside team finished in 24th place at the competition and was awarded $1,000 in prize money. The momentum which we have created in only two years is prodigious, and one we plan on using to inspire the engineering community at our University.
The 2015 competition was held Wednesday, June 17 – Saturday, June 20. UCR unmanned aerial systems walked away with an $800 prize.
For more information on the competition: http://www.auvsi-seafarer.org/