The following is a list of minimal requirements for a vehicle to be permitted flight at competition. Teams that arrive at the competition failing to meet the vehicle requirements will not be permitted to fly, until the vehicle is modified to meet all requirements.
UAS should operate with some level of autonomy with the ability for manual safety pilot takeoff at any time.
The maximum all up flying weight of the UAS should be 45 LBs or lower. This will be verified during safety inspections. The UAS must also be capable of heavier-than-air fligth and be free flying without any ground encumbrances like tethers.
The UAS used at competition must be registered using the FAADroneZone, the certificate must be presented at safety inspection and at the flight line, and an external surface of the vehicle must be labeled with the registration number.
The UAS must also comply with FAA Remote Identification for Drone Pilots (Remote ID). At a minimum, the Remote ID broadcast must include a unique ID for the vehicle and the vehicle position.
The Safety Pilot must complete The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and present the certificate of completion at safety inspection and at the flight line.
Exactly one design can be used throughout the competition. Teams are locked into a specific design upon submission of the Proof of Flight Readiness Video. The team may use backup instances of that design during development. The team must use exactly one instance during the Mission Demonstration.
No antenna masts, balloons, or other objects taller than 15ft will be permitted. No ground based imaging sensors can be used as a replacement for the UAS's imaging payload.
The safety functionality must be operated using onsite systems with no dependency on any system not under the team’s full control. For example, safety critical functionality cannot have a dependency on the public internet or public cloud providers. Safety critical functionality includes, but is not limited to, return to land and flight termination, manual piloting by the Safety Pilot, commanding the autopilot by the GCS Operator, and failsafe for the air drop.
All UAS must be battery electrically powered (non-fuel based). Exotic batteries will not be allowed. Any option deemed by the organizers as high risk will be denied. All batteries must be brightly colored for easy identification in a crash, and it is preferred if they are wrapped in bright colored tape. Batteries must also be located on the UAS so that they can be easily removed/added without any vehicle deconstructions (e.g. batteries cannot be embedded into the UAS airframe).
More information detailed in Battery/Fuel Guidelines.
The ability to avoid obstacles is a core capability for uncrewed systems. Due to the operation of multiple UAS within the same airspace, teams must prepare their systems to avoid other teams' UAS. Up to two UAS will be operating in the airspace at the same time. Both teams will be given a radio to conduct communications between each other to minimize the chance of collision. The operations at the competition will not actively put teams in a situation that causes UAS to be on a known collision path.
The UAS must have either autonomous return to home (RTH) or return to land (RTL), and autonomous flight termination. Either the Safety Pilot or the GCS Operator must be able to activate both. See Safety Inspection for a detailed description of all required failsafes.
No pieces may depart from the aircraft while in flight, except for the components involved in air drop while attempting that task. Foreign object debris (FOD), like nuts and bolts, must be cleared from the operating area before mission flight time stops.
Personnel must be clear of the propeller arc whenever the motors have the ability to receive power. For example, if the batteries powering the electric motor are connected, personnel are not allowed to be near the prop arc. Software based disarm is not sufficient. Propeller power must be disconnected in order to physically work on the UAS. Teams violating this safety rule may be disqualified.
The vehicle must be able to operate in any winds experienced at the airfield. Average wind speeds in California, MD in June is ~8 mph, and the record high is 24.2 mph. Vehicles must be able to operate in temperatures up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Teams will not have to operate during precipitation, but they must be prepared to quickly secure their equipment from sudden precipitation. Fog conditions are acceptable if there is at least 2 miles of visibility.
All Radio Frequency (RF) communications must comply with FCC regulations. Any bands allowed by FCC regulations may be used at competition. Judges use 462 MHz for handheld radios.
The judges will not provide any RF spectrum management. This means that any device can be used in any of the allowed bands at any time. This includes both the flight line and the pits. Teams are encouraged to use hardwired connections when possible. Where possible, teams should use encryption, directional antennas, and RF filters. Each team should expect other teams to be using similar equipment (e.g. same autopilot), and teams must ensure they don’t allow invalid connections (e.g. connecting to another team’s autopilot). Where possible, teams should use frequency hopping or dynamic channel selection. The judges reserve the right to institute RF management if necessary, but teams may not rely on such.
Teams found intentionally jamming or interfering with another team’s communications will be considered cheating.
This section includes detailed rules and requirements for the system developed to enter into the competition.
Safe operations are a priority for the SUAS organizers. All considerations to maintain safety for operators and the surrounding environment must be made. These guidelines are the minimum requirements for all teams and their vehicles during the competition.
Local Safety Requirements: UAS power systems must follow the safety rules and regulations of the host country as well as the team’s home country.
Operations Suspended: SUAS staff may suspend team operations at any time for safety considerations. The staff is not required to advise the team prior to the decision to terminate the run attempt. In all matters of safety, the decisions of the SUAS staff are final.
Safety Material: Teams must have available personal protective equipment (PPE) (tools, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, etc.), safety risk mitigation (training, checklists, radios, etc.) and equipment to support rapid response to accidents (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.) as needed.
Before taking flight, all UAS must pass a safety inspection. This includes, but is not limited to:
A Safety Inspector completes a safety checklist, verifying successful operation of all safety features.
Teams demonstrate compliance with all the requirements, to include all required FAA documentation.
Refer to Safety Inspection for the criteria for the safety inspections
Teams are required to understand and follow battery/fuel safety best practices based on the battery/fuel chemistry selected by the team. For questions or assistance, please contact Cheri Koch at ckoch@robonation.org / 850-642-0536.
All batteries can become a hazard if not handled properly. Lithium-ion chemistry batteries may become damaged and create a hazard if misused/abused, representing the greatest risk to people, facilities, and the environment. The following safety rules and requirements must be followed:
Teams must submit battery specifications, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and proper disposal procedures, sourced from the battery manufacturer for all batteries.
Teams must keep a hard copy of the battery safety documentation for all batteries on-site at all times.
Teams must bring a LiPo safe bag(s) adequate for the lithium batteries used.
Each team must understand and follow their own country’s regulations as well as those of the host nation.
All batteries must be stored, used, and maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.
Teams are required to inspect their batteries daily for signs of swelling, heat, leaking, venting, burning or any other irregularities. Lithium batteries that become too warm during use or have become swollen or malformed must be removed from use and reported to the Technical Director or RoboNation.
Lithium batteries that do not hold a charge must be removed from use and reported to the Technical Director.
A team member must be present at all times to monitor charging batteries.
At the competition site, if any of the above battery conditions are observed students must immediately notify the Technical Director or RoboNation and provide the battery specifications and safety information.
Failed or failing Lithium-ion batteries must be handled in accordance with manufacturer’s safety and disposal guidelines. In the absence of specific guidelines, batteries must be placed in a LiPo safe bag, which must then be placed in a bucket, covered with sand, and placed in a designated safety zone.
Only use approved containers for fuel storage and handling.
Store flammable liquids in well-ventilated areas and away from heat.
Don’t store more flammable liquid than is needed for 1 day’s operation.
Always power off equipment while refueling.
Teams must provide their own fuel specific spill kit in the event of a fuel spill.
Ensure that fuel caps remain properly closed whenever not actively refueling.
No smoking is allowed.
All team members must abide by the RoboNation Code of Conduct while participating in the Competition. Failure to abide by this Code of Conduct at any point during the competition season may result in the disqualification of the team and/or participants from the Competition, components of the competition, the full competition, and/or future competitions. ()
Teams must build at least one UAS to compete and only enter one vehicle design in the competition. ()
Teams that arrive at the competition failing to meet the vehicle requirements will not be permitted to fly, until the vehicle is modified to meet all requirements. ()
The UAS must be battery-powered. No fuels or exotic batteries are allowed. ()
Teams must be comprised of 75% or more full-time students. ()
One student member of the team must be designated as the “team lead”. The team lead must be conversationally fluent in English. The team lead, and only the team lead, will speak for the team during the mission demonstration.
Teams must have at least one representative present for the team orientation. Teams who miss orientation will not be permitted to deploy their UAS. ()
Prior to transport to the runway for the mission demonstration, teams must successfully pass the required safety inspection of their UAS and ground station. ()
The UAS must stay within the mission flight boundary at all times during the mission demonstration, clearly outlined in this handbook. ()
A flight will be terminated if the UAS interferes with flight path of other UAS or goes out of bounds of the mission flight boundary. ()
All Radio Frequency (RF) communications must comply with FCC regulations. Teams found intentionally jamming or interfering with another team’s communications will be considered cheating. ()
If weather and environmental conditions are deemed unsafe, SUAS organizers will temporarily suspend the competition. Teams must be prepared to secure all equipment against sudden weather like wind and rain. In the event of lightning, teams will be asked to return to their vehicles in the parking lot until the lightning has passed. ()
SUAS organizers are not responsible for any damage to a team’s UAS as a consequence of participating in the competition.
All decisions of the judges are final. ()