UCD UAV Team's success at IMechE UAS Challenge

Congratulations to the UCD UAV team, comprising students from stages one to five from both SMME and SEEE, who have come away from the (opens in a new window)IMechE UAS Challenge with two trophies. They won for Business Proposition and for Airworthiness — a remarkable achievement for a new team competing against universities with aeronautical programmes and strong track records at this event. They were also highly commended in other categories, in particular their design innovations and strong focus on safety.

Speaking to IMechE staff at the event, it was clear that the team made a strong first impression. This is the first time a team from the Republic of Ireland has competed at this international event, and they are already planning for next year.

The team comprises:

• James Blackburn
• Sarah Brownlee
• Lily Anderson
• Lorcan Cranley
• Moaz Refaei
• Ray Foysal
• Kelvin Gao
• Joe Biji
• David Fitzsimons
• Robert Murphy

The UAV they built is highly innovative, and their use of custom PCBs, redundant power systems, a novel aeroflap and release mechanism for payload management, and battery-protecting crumble zones were all noted by the judges. Their business plan was outstanding.

The team also want to thank everyone who supported them throughout this process.