International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC)
The International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) is an esteemed event that challenges university teams to create fully autonomous aerial robots capable of performing complex missions considered "impossible" when initially proposed. Here's an overview of the competition, including upcoming events, rules, and procedures:
Upcoming Events
The competition takes place annually at two primary venues:
- American Venue: Hosted at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Asia/Pacific Venue: Hosted at Beihang University in Beijing, China.
Rules and Procedures
Eligibility
- Participants: Primarily undergraduate and graduate students from accredited universities worldwide.
- Team Composition: Teams can include multiple members, typically guided by a faculty advisor.
Competition Structure
- Mission Challenges: Each year's mission requires teams to demonstrate novel autonomous aerial behaviors. For instance, recent missions have involved tasks such as aerial target designation, swarm interaction, and even human interaction within the arena.
- Autonomy Requirement: The robots must operate fully autonomously, with no external control during the mission.
- Evaluation: Teams are judged based on the robot's ability to complete the mission tasks, the innovation of the design, and the robustness of the system.
Purpose and Goals
Advancing Technology: The primary goal of the IARC is to push the boundaries of aerial robotics by setting mission challenges that are considered “impossible” at the time they are proposed.
Real-World Applications: The competition focuses on creating significant and useful mission challenges that have real-world applicability.
Competition Structure
Missions: Each year’s mission requires teams to demonstrate new behaviors and technologies. For example, Mission 9 included tasks like precision manipulation of large objects, fast outdoor operations, and aerial robotic repair of mobile platforms.
Onboard Computing: Teams must rely solely on onboard computing for their robots, emphasizing the importance of autonomous decision-making and processing
Rules
- Detailed rules for each mission are published on the official IARC website. These rules cover technical specifications, mission objectives, safety requirements, and evaluation criteria.
- Teams are encouraged to review the mission rules carefully and comply with all safety regulations, particularly for flight operations.
Video Details: https://youtu.be/rVsCY7-Xn9w
Resources
- Official Website: For comprehensive details, rules, and updates, teams should refer to the International Aerial Robotics Competition website and the RoboNation IARC page.