Drones will clash again, call for new teams!

Press

Due to the overwhelming success of the first edition, we are already organising DroneClash 2. On 27 November 2018 we will be part of the Amsterdam Drone Week in the RAI in Amsterdam. DroneClash and Amsterdam Drone Week fit together well, showing the world that the Netherlands is at the forefront of all drone technology. Including counter-drones!

A real problem

DroneClash is a competition that is fun, but at the same time sets out to help manage the
real world problem of nefarious drones in society. Drone development has grown hugely in recent years, and the anti-drone industry is growing with it. Ideally, these developments keep each other in check and result in a safe and responsible incorporation of drones in our daily lives. Delft University of Technology’s Micro Air Vehicle Lab (MAVLab) is organising DroneClash to generate new ideas in order to encourage this process.

Call for teams

The DroneClash competition is like the next-level FPV competition. Teams will battle against each other like a real-life video game. Each team is allowed to use as many drones as they like, but they should bring at least one Fighter drone and one Queen drone. The main idea is simple: knock out the rival Queens. How? That’s up to the teams!

Each team will have their own Arena, and all the drones of each team will start in that Arena. The team arenas are separated by a tunnel: the 3D Hallway. Why 3D…? Well, because its full name, The Hallway of Doom Death and Destruction, sounds rather horrendous… In the 3Dhallway, they will need to handle current state-of-the-art counter-drone systems. More information about the competition, this edition’s rules, and how teams can participate can be found at: www.droneclash.org/teams

DroneClash 2

We aim to make DroneClash 2 even better than DroneClash 1. The drones in DroneClash 1 were all but impervious to our own counter-measures. For example: over 20 net shells were fired, but none caught a drone out of the air. The drones were simply too fast, a lesson in itself for the counter-drone industry. This year, that will be different. There are also small rule changes, designed to lengthen the battles so that teams really can show off their skills and tech.

On the other hand, it will be interesting to see what innovations will be invented by the teams this year. Last year, among others, a new type of hacking was developed that is now being researched by the authorities.

“We are quite satisfied with the results of DroneClash 1. Although it showed we still have a long way to go. All the more reason to keep this fantastic event recurring’’ says Mark Wiebes, Chief Innovation Officer of the Dutch Police.

Amsterdam Drone Week

The Amsterdam Drone Week is the first official European platform that unites the brightest and most creative minds of the UAS Industry, showcases the latest technology and helps unlock the potential of drones and discovery of new applications. For the duration of one week, this unique platform is the host of a diversity of events around drone regulations, new technology and future solutions.

Why Amsterdam Drone Week? “Amsterdam Drone Week showcases the future of the UAS industry. In many of our trade exhibitions we see future drone applications waiting for European regulations to come in place. RAI believes connecting the value chain of the UAS industry now, gives the industry a head-start when regulation falls into place. All commercial industries have one thing in common: Wanting to see the future of commercial drone applications come to life. And that’s what Amsterdam Drone Week stands for” says Paul Riemens, CEO of RAI Amsterdam.

More information

DroneClash

Date: Tuesday 27 November 2018

Location: RAI Amsterdam

For more information and to register: www.droneclash.nl/teams

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/droneclash/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/droneclash

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/droneclash

Website of MAVLab TU Delft: http://mavlab.tudelft.nl

Website of Amsterdam Drone Week: https://www.amsterdamdroneweek.com/

Contact information

Bart Remes (MAVLab TU Delft) +31 15 27 83707, B.D.W.Remes@tudelft.nl