The UAV Challenge was co-founded and is co-organised by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and CSIRO. Without the constant support of QUT, the UAV Challenge would not be the success it is today.

QUT is the headquarters of The Australian Centre for Robotic Vision and this year the Centre is supporting the UAV Challenge events from QUT.

The Australian Centre for Robotic Vision leads the world in the new discipline of robotic vision, applying computer vision to robotics. While robotics is about machines that interact with the physical world, computer vision is about analysing and understanding the world through images. Robotic Vision expands the capabilities of robots, allowing them to see and understand the world in which they are working. We believe it is the key technology that will allow robotics to change the way we live and work.

The Centre is already looking to apply it’s technologies to solve real challenges in the monitoring and protection of the natural and built environments, the provision of healthcare in hospitals and in the home, sustainable food production, and efficiently harnessing our natural resources.

The UAV Challenge Organisers are grateful to the Queensland Government for their support of the 2019 UAV Challenge. The high-school competition this coming weekend will be known as the Queensland Government Airborne Delivery Challenge 2019.

The Queensland Government was a foundation partner of the UAV Challenge in 2007 and have supported our events ever since. We really could not have developed the UAV Challenge into the success it has become without the Queensland Government.

The Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science; Department of Education; and Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning support Queensland-based innovation. The government is helping Queensland maintain its position as a major hub for aviation and aerospace activity, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Recognising the importance of UAS development for both military and commercial use, the Queensland Government has played a prominent role in developing UAS research in Australia. It has done so through its support of the Aerospace Autonomy Group within the Science and Engineering Faculty (formerly the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation), the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems (formerly the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Australia), the Smart Skies initiative and Project ResQu.

The UAV Challenge organisers are grateful for the Gold sponsorship of Insitu Pacific and Boeing Research & Technology-Australia (BR&T-Australia) 2019 UAV Challenge. Boeing and Insitu Pacific were foundation partners and later sponsors of the UAV Challenge series of event. They have provided considerable technical input into the UAV Challenge over the years and run STEM activities for the high-school students during the competition days. Insitu Pacific also sponsor the Airmanship Awards at the UAV Challenge events. We are extremely grateful for their continued support.

Insitu Pacific is an industry-leading provider of Unmanned Systems solutions including Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Insitu Pacific provides a comprehensive set of unmanned systems, services and data products to ensure our customers achieve the tailored information solution they require.

Insitu is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Boeing Research & Technology-Australia (BR&T-Australia) was established in March 2008 to provide a centralised research and development (R&D) organisation for Boeing’s in-country businesses and serve as a focal point for collaboration with Australian R&D organisations. BR&T-Australia brings the best of Boeing technology to business pursuits in Australia by reducing technical risks on current programs and providing innovative technologies that enable the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, cost, quality and performance of current aerospace systems.

The UAV Challenge organisers gratefully acknowledge the Gold sponsorship of Northrop Grumman for the 2019 UAV Challenge. Northrop Grumman have been a key supporter of the UAV Challenge and their continued support is great to see. As a leading producer of unmanned systems, Northrop Grumman supports multiple education initiatives designed to create interest and opportunities for students from around the world to learn more about engineering, science and math that makes these technologies possible. Learn more about the company’s innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization at http://www.northropgrumman.com.

The UAV Challenge organisers are grateful for the Gold sponsorship of Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group for the 2019 UAV Challenge. Defence Science and Technology (DST) is part of Australia’s Department of Defence. It is the second largest public-funded R&D organisation in Australia. DST is a national leader in safeguarding Australia by delivering valued scientific advice and innovative solutions for Defence and national security. DST has been a past sponsor of the UAV Challenge and their continued support is very much welcomed.

The UAV Challenge organisers gratefully acknowledge the Bronze Sponsorship of the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems (AAUS) for the 2019 UAV Challenge. This is the first year that AAUS has sponsored the UAV Challenge and we welcome them to the UAV Challenge family.

AAUS focuses on facilitating awareness, integration and collaboration between industry, academia, government and defence. AAUS offers its members a range of benefits and services.

These include industry advocacy, representation, advice, networking opportunities, business promotional opportunities, and discounted insurance. AAUS serves its membership through every avenue that promotes the adoption and integration of unmanned systems into applications that serve civilian and military needs.

The UAV Challenge organisers gratefully acknowledge the Bronze Sponsorship of Nova Systems for the 2019 UAV Challenge. This is the first year that Nova Systems has sponsored the UAV Challenge and we welcome them to the UAV Challenge family.

Nova Systems is a Professional Service Provider, specialising in the provision of engineering and management services, providing industry and government with world class independent expertise in delivering complex projects and solving technologically challenging problems.

The UAV Challenge organisers gratefully acknowledge the Bronze Sponsorship of QinetiQ for the 2019 UAV Challenge. This is the first year that QinetiQ have sponsored the UAV Challenge and we welcome them to the UAV Challenge family.

QinetiQ is a company of scientists and engineers committed to listening, understanding and responding to our customers’ needs. In Australia, they offer engineering and management advice and services across the land, aerospace and maritime sectors.

The UAV Challenge organisers gratefully acknowledge the Bronze Sponsorship of CASA for the 2019 UAV Challenge. CASA has been a frequent sponsor of the UAV Challenge events over the past twelve years and is now firmly part of the UAV Challenge family.

CASA provides a world class safety regulatory environment for civil air operations in Australia and the operation of Australian aircraft overseas. CASA’s challenge is to enhance and promote aviation safety through effective safety regulation and by encouraging industry to deliver high standards of safety.

As part of this function CASA provides comprehensive safety education and training programs, cooperates with other government agencies and the industry, and administers certain features of Part IVA of the Civil Aviation (Carriers’ Liability) Act 1959.

CASA is a proud sponsor of the 2019-2020 UAV Challenge.

The UAV Challenge Technical Committee has now completed its reviews of the Deliverable 1 documents from teams that have entered the UAV Challenge Medical Rescue event that will be held in 2020. After some clarifications from some teams, 47 teams have been given a Go decision and progress to the next stage. Those teams have a total of nearly 500 team members. Congratulations to all the teams. A list of the teams can be found on the 2020 Medical Rescue Teams page.