A selection of young engineers from the UK and overseas will be challenged to design, build and operate an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in a “humanitarian aid mission” as part of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ annual challenge (
www.imeche.org).
The competition — now in its fourth year — has been growing steadily since its launch, when 12 teams took part. This year, 25 teams will compete, including four international teams and one from the University of Bath, which was crowned winner of the UAS Challenge 2017.
The Challenge is a year-long project with phased stages of completion that require strict adherence to certain standards. The UAS must complete a series of tasks, such as way-point navigation (following a route towards a specific mark), location search and accurate delivery of an aid package.
A steering group, comprising professionals in aerospace engineering and flight safety at leading aerospace and defence organisations, supports the teams throughout the project (the expert advice helps to develop the teams’ technical understanding and focus on safety).
The commercial viability of the projects is also tested by a Dragons’ Den-style pitch to a panel of judges. Both Qinetiq and GKN Aerospace will continue to support the UAS Challenge 2018.
Peter Finegold, head of education at the IMechE, said: “Taking part in the UAS challenge gives students an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between education and industry.
"They are involved in an engineering project that brings theoretical knowledge to life and encourages authentic work experiences, such as working in teams to deadlines and solving real problems as they arise.”
Malcolm Foster, chief engineer (advanced projects) at GKN, said: “Last year was GKN’s first year of sponsoring the UAS Challenge, and we were impressed by both the professionalism of the contest and the quality of the entrants’ submissions.
“We had a great time participating in the fly-off activities and judging, and we had no hesitation about extending our sponsorship.”