Loughborough Engineering students have soared to victory during the second annual Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Challenge.
This is the second year for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers challenge, which tasked each team with a series of specific mission objectives before competing in a final ‘fly-off’.
See Project Auxilium (Loughborough University) in action
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Challenge asks undergraduate students from Universities around the world to undertake a full design and build cycle of a UAS. The competition has been running since September 2015, with the final ‘fly-off’ and judging on 6 and 7 July 2016.
The idea of the challenge is to bridge the gap between academia and industry in developing applied UAS-related activities. Designed to give competitors the perfect opportunity to strengthen their links with the industry and enhance their employment opportunities after graduation in the aerospace sector.
2016 UAS Challenge team list
While Loughborough University was crowned as overall grand champions, winners of the other categories were:
- Design – Loughborough University
- Innovation – University of Southampton (2)
- Most Viable Business Proposition – University of Sheffield
- Safety and Airworthiness – University of Southampton (4)
- Autonomous/Automatic Operations – University of Southampton (2)
Manufacturing – Loughborough University - Viable Operational System – University of Loughborough
- Environmentally friendly – University of Glasgow
- Most Promise – University of Glasgow
2016 UAS Challenge team list
- University of Surrey
- Sheffield Hallam University
- University of Bath
- University of Nottingham
- University of Southampton 1 (Nash)
- University of Southampton 2 (Saffire)
- University of Southampton 3 (Daedalus)
- University of Southampton 4 (Gryphon)
- University of Glasgow
- Swansea University
- University of Manchester
- University of Liverpool 1
- University of Liverpool 2
- University of the West of England
- Loughborough University
- University of Sheffield
- Egypt Team (Military Technical College, Kafr El-Sheikh University and Tanta University)