The new, innovative aspect of ICUAS ’22 is that it will include – for the first time – an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Competition. The Competition is student-focused, offering unique opportunities for students to test and compare their skills with those of their peers, worldwide. The main idea and timeline of the competition are described below.

The competition is open to any full-time BSc, MSc and PhD students (a proof of student status will be required later). There is no fee to participate.

3, 2, 1… Game on!

As of February 1, 2022, the simlation phase has started. The competition rule book and GitHub repository are now available.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact us by email at uav-competition@uasconferences.com.

Fire fighting UAVs

The competition is motivated by the challenges faced by fire fighting UAVs. It will be organized in two phases, according to the timeline below. The first phase (“qualifiers”), involving simulation, will take place remotely. The second phase (“finals”), involving live trials, will take place at the conference venue, allowing the finalists to meet and participate in the conference.


Two phases


Simulation

We will provide ROS – Gazebo based simulation environment for you to test your code, starting from low level control, all the way towards path planning and mission execution.

Trials

During ICUAS 22 we will build a motion capture arena where the (representatives of) the best teams from the simulation phase would be invited to compete and test their code in a laboratory setup environment.


The challenge


Task 1: Exploration

You will be provided with a map of the environment and a rough estimate of the target. Your task will be to navigate towards the target through the provided map.

Task 2: Target detection

Once you reach the target you will have to find the precise location of the drop point in order to successfully deliver the payload. Execution time and precise localization will be important.

Task 3: Precision delivery

The final challenge will test the agility of your trajectory planning. You will have to plan a trajectory that is capable of delivering the payload without harming the drone.


The live trials platform


ROS capable Intel NUC computer will run your algorithms onboard.

Pixhawk flight controller set including orange cube featuring triple redundancy IMU system connected to the computer via MAVLINK interface.

The Intel® RealSense™ D435 offers the widest field of view of all our cameras, along with a global shutter on the depth sensor that is ideal for fast moving applications.

Arduino nano board preprogrammed to deploy the payload at your command.


Timeline


February 1, 2022: Simulation phase kickoff

March 15, 2022: Team registration closed

May 1, 2022: Simulation phase upload deadline

May 10, 2022: Finalists announced

June 21-24, 2022: Finals (live trials at the conference venue)
-the exact date will be announced in the conference program-