Outback Challenge 2010 open for entries.

With a slick new website and positive message for UAS tasking the Outback Challenge once again opened its doors for competitors today.

Split into several tasks as follows, taken from the official site.

AIRBORNE DELIVERY CHALLENGE

This category is only open to students in Australian High Schools.

The Mission

An emergency package (shape and size specified in rules) will be made available to competing teams, for use on the day of the competition.

Participants must develop an airborne delivery system that can deliver this package to a lost bushwalker.

The airborne vehicle will be remotely controlled by a human operator, known as the “UAV controller”.

On the test day, two hurdles will map out the course. The pilot must ensure that the UAV flies above these hurdles. The target zone will appear between the hurdles.

The delivery of the payload will be controlled by a human operator, known as the mission manager. The mission manager’s zone will be marked on the test day and will be a 2m x 2m square. The mission manager and associated equipment must be located within this square at all times during the mission. The mission manager’s area will be enclosed with a barricade around the edges and covered from the top for safety. The mission manager will NOT be able to see the target zone during the competition and will NOT be able to communicate with the UAV controller during the drop sequence. The control of the delivery mechanism must be made by the mission manager, independently of the actions of the UAV controller. The mission manager must remotely deploy the package such that it lands in the centre of the target zone.

ROBOT AIRBORNE DELIVERY CHALLENGE

The Mission

An emergency package (shape and size specified in rules) will be made available to competing teams, for use on the day of the competition.

Participants must develop an airborne delivery system that can deliver this package to a lost bushwalker.

On the test day, two hurdles will map out the course. The pilot must ensure that the UAV flies above these hurdles. The target zone will appear between the hurdles.

Teams will receive points based upon the level of autonomy their UAV demonstrates. Teams can choose to autonomously drop the emergency package to receive maximum points.

Points will be awarded based on the time required to complete the mission and the proximity of the package to the target. A total of three drops will be allowed in 30 minutes. The participant’s best result will be used for judging.

SEARCH AND RESCUE CHALLENGE

This category is open to Australian and international university students and aerospace enthusiasts.

The Mission

Outback Joe is lost in the Australian outback and desperately needs assistance. You must develop a UAV that is capable of locating Outback Joe and delivering an emergency package to him.

Where’s Outback Joe?

Your system must be capable of searching an area of at least 2nm x 2nm, up to 5nm from the aerodrome. The target for your search will be a human (or dummy) positioned in a typical resting pose in a rural setting.

The GPS coordinates representing the four corners of the search area will be provided in the days leading up to the competition. The air vehicle must not travel outside of the search area or transit lane, for its flight will be terminated if it does so. The search area will be not more that 5nm from the aerodrome.

Over a 60 minute period, teams must deploy their air vehicle systems and conduct the search. Once the search has been conducted a decision must be made as to where Outback Joe is located. A GPS coordinate, representing Outback Joe’s location, must be provided to the judges.

Rescue Outback Joe!

Once Joe has been located with the judges’ approval, the air vehicle must be tasked with delivering its emergency package. The emergency package will contain 500ml of ‘life saving’ water. The package must be dropped as closely as possible to Outback Joe, without landing on him. The UAV will then return to the Kingaroy airport for recovery.

The minimum requirements for the air vehicle are as follows:

The air vehicle must not weigh more than 100 kg (rotary) or 150kg (fixed wing) in the competition configuration

Points will be awarded based on the time required to complete the mission and the accuracy of the emergency package delivery.

DOCUMENTARY CHALLENGE

The challenge

In order to record the events leading up to the 2010 UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue, the organisers will offer a prize to the film maker/s that create the best documentary about their team.

The documentary should show the full story of a team preparing for the Challenge. Teams will submit their documentary to the challenge organising committee.

The winning entrants may be featured in the official documentary of the event.

It is not compulsory for teams to enter the documentary competition component of the UAV Challenge. However, teams may be required to produce video evidence of flights as part of the submission process outlined in the UAV Challenge Rules document.

Read more at the official site.

http://www.uavoutbackchallenge.com.au