Drexel
University recently won the second annual IEEE
Aerial Robotics Competition. They faced off
against teams such as Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and
Villanova.
Backpackable, rapidly-deployable bird-sized aircraft, or Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) can quickly and easily provide soldiers and command and control personnel with an ''over-the-hill'' or ''around-the-corner'' perspective from a remote location. Furthermore, MAVs can be designed to fly in caves, tunnels, and other tight, enclosed labyrinths which are densely populated with obstacles. Previous research yielded a MAV that was capable of acquiring aerial surveillance in a 10 x 10 m2 area (about 1/3 the size of a professional basketball court). However, this much space is not always available in labyrinths. As such, the prototype required modification in order to enable flight in an area one-tenth the size. Link