IMechE Pakistan inaugurated its own competition, the ‘UAS Challenge Pakistan’ to give local undergraduate students opportunity to design and manufacture Unmanned Aerial Systems
This year IMechE Pakistan has inaugurated its very own competition, the ‘UAS Challenge Pakistan’ to give local undergraduate student teams the opportunity to design and manufacture Unmanned Aerial Systems Systems (UAS).
The task for this year’s competition was based on a real-life problem of overcoming the damage done to crops by locusts. The Unmanned Aircraft (UA) would be designed to be deployed for locust swarm spraying, operating within the Visual Line of Sight. The system was required to operate automatically, performing a series of tasks including takeoff, navigating waypoints, spraying at infested areas, and returning to base.
The Event was held in 2 stages. The first stage of UAS Challenge Pakistan was the virtual event where the teams researched on, designed and submitted reports on their UAV models. The teams that cleared the first stage then took part in fabrication of their design and proceeded to test their models in a Fly-off event.
In the first round of the event 19 teams qualified out of 25. The competition took place on a national level thus allowing undergraduate students from all over Pakistan to compete. The event’s hybrid nature made it accessible to those unable to attend the event in person. During the first phase, all teams delivered their preliminary and conceptual design reports by the allotted deadlines and presented business cases online for their UAVs. This Virtual Stage was completed in the month of July.
Moving forward, based on the submitted reports, the teams who met the required criteria were chosen to compete in the second round – the Fly Off event. Only qualifying teams fabricated their UAVs and were allowed to test them on the ground at the competition’s venue. The UAVs were structured, and performance was then evaluated by the judges.
During this phase, all teams were subjected to inspection rounds, mission flight and business presentations. UAS Challenge 2022 round 2 took place from 23 September to 24 September 2022 at NUST H-12 campus Islamabad.
There were 7 participating finalist teams: Team Burraq , Team Concordian Eagles, Team Flying Possums, Team Meta Avionics, Team Stratus Squad, Team Ascensor and Team Aeroar.
First day of the event began with an opening speech by Event Head Hinata Kashif and an address from Hassan Ghayasuddin Ansari, Immediate Past Chair IMechE Pakistan Group. The speech was followed by an introduction of Judging panel.
The participating teams were briefed on the event proceedings and necessary security protocols. Teams were provided with their own stalls so after the opening ceremony the inspection rounds were started where the judges assessed the designs and reports of UAV developed by each individual team. Towards the end of first day the Team Leads were provided a Q&A session with the judges regarding their models.
The second day of UAS Challenge Pakistan began with the remaining inspection rounds followed by the visits from industrial guests to the participant stalls including representatives from Millat Group, Sapphire Group, Engro Corp., ICI Pakistan, Telenor Pakistan, Fauji Cement Ltd, Excellence Delivered ExD Pvt Ltd.
Simultaneously, each team delivered business presentations describing development of the model UAV competing for the value proposition Award. Teams delivered these business presentations to a jury and industrial guests explaining their model’s economic capabilities.
The highlight of day 2 was definitely the Fly-off Event. After the lunch break, the teams performed their successful flights. With Team Burraq’s model demonstrating excellent Airworthiness. The day was concluded with Q&A session of Team Leads with the judges regarding the takeaways from the event.
The closing ceremony included addresses from Hinata Kashif ( Event Head), Sameer bin Khalid (IMechE Young Member Panel Vice Chair) and Head of Mechanical Engineering Department NUST Islamabad. A special round of appreciation was presented to the UAS Pakisan organising team, to the sponsors Engro Corp, Sapphire Group and Millat Group and technical partner Corsys Engineering by Hassan Naziruddin Ansari, Chairman IMechE ME&A Region.
Ceremony was concluded by an address from the Chief Guest Dr. Muhammad Tufail, Chair IMechE Pakistan Group who appreciated the commendable models from the teams and the months of effort of the organising team to successfully inaugurate IMechE UAS Challenge Pakistan 2022.
Originally published at Institute Of Mechincal Engineering