The SUAS team designs, builds, and programs autonomous drones for search-and-rescue and delivery missions. This year’s challenge is a fully autonomous “Storm Response” mission. The drone must fly through GPS waypoints, detect and avoid obstacles in real time, identify ground targets using onboard imaging, and accurately deliver a payload to a designated location — all while staying under the 35 lb weight limit.

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Teams are scored on autonomous flight performance, obstacle avoidance, target identification accuracy, and payload delivery precision. Additional points are awarded for compact size and lower weight. More information about the competition can be found in the 2026 SUAS Team Handbook.

The competition registration fee is $1,250. Email us for more details about participation and equipment requirements.

 

We will use a Pixhawk 6X flight controller, standalone ESCs powered by two high-capacity lithium polymer batteries, a DJI video transmission system, a Raspberry Pi for OpenCV image processing, and an ELRS receiver to maintain a stable connection with the ground controller. The drone frame will be machined out of carbon fiber to ensure the best strength-to-weight ratio, which increases the flight time.