Autonomous aerial vehicle development

On July 29, 1991 the First International Aerial Robotics Competition was held at Georgia Technological Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. Teams entering the contest were to have an aerial vehicle which could autonomously perform a preset task within an outdoor antenna. The overall goal of this contest is to promote communication between young engineers and corporate sponsors. The rules of the competition placed design requirements on the aerial robots. The vehicle, in static configuration, was required to fit within a six-foot cube. After leaving the designated starting area, vehicles were not permitted to land outside of the two six-foot diameter rings; vehicles were allowed to land inside these rings if necessary to retrieve or dismount a disc. There also were time requirements. Vehicles constructed by competing teams varied greatly. No vehicle accomplished the overall task of the contest. Some important modifications have been made to the competition guidelines for the 1992 competition, which are described