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Rolf Brandt, SERCO and Don Matthews briefs Team VAMUdeS on the UAV operating area Photo Credit: L&S Photo

Maiden flight of Canada’s first student unmanned aerial vehicle competition

By Stéphane Bachand

Students from the Universities of Calgary, Edmonton and Sherbrooke competed in the second phase of the Student Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Competition from May 4th to 6th in Goose Bay, Labrador. In the first phase, student teams were required to submit a technical report outlining how their UAV designs met the challenges posed by a search and rescue (SAR) mission.

Students and UAV experts from across Canada descended on 5 Wing Goose Bay for phase two of the competition which was supported by members of 444 Combat Support Squadron, 5 Wing Goose Bay, the local Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) team, residents and businesses from Happy Valley-Goose Bay and many corporate sponsors.

Charles Vidal from Team VAMUdeS getting ready to launch the UAV Photo Credit: L&S Photo

This final competition was the culmination of two years worth of work developing a mini-UAV with the specific task of conducting a 2 km square search of a simulated crash site area. Major Graham Newbold of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat assisted the organizers in developing a SAR scenario for the competition and enlisted the help of the local CASARA team to set up targets within the area.

In addition to the flying portion of the competition, participants received a briefing and a demonstration by the SAR Tech shop of 444 Combat Support Squadron to familiarize them with the equipment and techniques used by SAR professionals. The action packed weekend also included presentations by each student team on the development of their UAVs and safety briefings on the operation of UAVs.

Team VAMUdeS from the Université de Sherbrooke were the winners of both phases of the competition. Many lessons were learned about the development of UAVs and their operation in an active airspace. The competition also gave those involved the opportunity to learn more about SAR innovation and the challenges the SAR community must surmount in search operations.

Stéphane Bachand is a Communications Officer at the National Search and Rescue Secretariat who attended the Student UAV Competition in Labrador.

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