Unmanned, largely manually controlled aircraft are already used in many areas, such as the maintenance of industrial plants or in surveying. Fully autonomous drones would open up further fields of application that Logistics and delivery services to rescue operations, inspections, and long-term monitoring in agriculture. This, in turn, could be a first important step toward the vision of unmanned control of passenger transport.
The Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovations Sprind has therefore Innovation competition “Fully Autonomous Flight” was launched. Specifically, the project is looking for an autonomously flying system with a maximum weight of up to 25 kilograms that can safely navigate a predefined course without human intervention, even under the influence of various disruptive factors. The program runs for nine months (Sprind Funke) and is divided into two phases. During the first 2.5 months, the participating teams will receive support in the theoretical demonstration of their autonomously flying system. This includes support and advice from Sprind, as well as networking with suitable experts. The teams will also each receive up to 70,000 euros.
Drones compete
Stage 2 then provides up to an additional €80,000 to develop a prototype. For this, the teams can use Erding Air Base as a test site. A "drone race" will also take place there, marking the culmination of the program. In this race, the teams will demonstrate the performance of their developments. This is made possible through a collaboration between Sprind and the System Soldat innovation laboratory.
The application deadline for "Fully Autonomous Flight" is January 14, 2024. Up to 15 teams will be admitted to the first stage, of which a maximum of 12 teams can advance to the second phase. Teams from across Europe and other NATO member states are welcome to apply.
Further information and the opportunity to apply can be found on the Sprind website.
