MAV Competition Announcement

1st US-EUROPEAN MAV COMPETITION AND WORKSHOP

MICRO-AERIAL VEHICLES

The 1st US-European Micro-Aerial Vehicle (MAV) Competition will be held in conjunction with the 1st US-European Micro-Aerial Vehicle Workshop 19-22 September 2005 at Elmau Castle near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The twin events are designed to spur the development of prototype systems that meet certain minimum criteria, and to stimulate the critical technologies needed for further developments. The organizers of the contest hope to raise some $300,000 through sponsorships, and to award cash prizes to winners in several categories. Prospective contestants are encouraged to form teams that blend their respective expertise. As the title would suggest, Trans-Atlantic teams will be viewed with special favour, but the competition will be open to persons from all countries.

The objective of the contest is to provide a potential end-user a clear picture of what technology can provide in the short term, and to generate ideas for the design of specific systems. The workshop, on the other hand, will serve to identify (a) where improvements in enabling technologies are urgently needed, and (b) promising approaches to reach those goals.

The competition will exclude lighter-than-air platforms. The minimum criteria that need to be met by a prototype system in order to qualify for an award are:

a) System Weight in “ready-to-fly” condition = 500 grams maximum, 150 grams desired

b) Longest dimension (span or length) = 500 mm maximum, 250 mm desired

c) Flight Endurance = 10 minutes minimum, 30 minutes desired

d) System Endurance = 30 minutes minimum (in case of perch-and-stare)

e) Range = 0.5 km minimum

f) Noise level at 15 meters = 60 dB maximum

The Competition will be conducted under daylight conditions in winds gusting up to 37 kph (20 knots) and precipitation of as much as 1mm hour. Launch devices up to 2 kg in weight will be permitted.

Substantial bonus points will accrue to entries having the following capabilities:

Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)
Perch and Stare
Degree of Autonomy

Certain categories of enabling technologies have been selected for additional awards. However, they will need to be demonstrated.

Power source with high ratio of continuous power to weight
Efficient schemes for utilization of power
Architecture, models and algorithms for decision-making and autonomous flight
Structural design using multi-functional materials
High stability, maneuverability, L/D aerodynamics

Innovative design ideas, provided they are judged as applicable to the design of MAVs, will also be rewarded.

Organising Committee

Prof. Charles Ellington	University of Cambridge	Main Organiser	c.ellington@zoo.cam.ac.uk
Prof. Christian Boller	University of Sheffield	Sponsor Liaison	c.boller@sheffield.ac.uk
Prof. Robert Michelson	Emeritus, Georgia Tech Research Institute	Competition Organiser	robert.michelson@gtri.gatech.edu
Prof. Jean-Marc Moschetta	SUPAERO, Toulouse	Competition Organiser	jean-marc.moschetta@supaero.fr
Prof. Inderjit Chopra	University of Maryland	Workshop Programme	chopra@eng.umd.edu
Prof. Peter Voersmann	Technical University of Braunschweig	Workshop Programme	p.voersmann@tu-bs.de
Prof. Heinz Hönlinger	DLR, Göttingen	Local Organiser	heinz.hoenlinger@dlr.de

Conference Secretary: Brigitte Metz

Other Organisers include Dr J. Nakamichi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Professor Pascal Roches of ENSICA, Toulouse, Dr. S. G. Sampath of the European Research Office of the US Army, Professor A. Salvetti of the University of Pisa, Dr. B. Lakinsmith of the U.S. Army, Col. J. McGhee of the US Army Aero-Medical Research Laboratory and Dr. Robert Sierakowski of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.

Dr. Thomas Killion of the U.S. Army is patron of the event.

The rules which will govern the competition, the allocations of prize money and the panel of international judges will be announced in due course at http://www.us-euro-mav.com.