FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
International Students Put Autonomous Aerial Systems to the Test at Skyway Range
TULSA, OKLAHOMA – Students from across the United States and around the world will converge on Tulsa this September as RoboNation brings its annual Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) Competition to Oklahoma for the first time.
Eighty-five teams registered for the 2026 SUAS Competition, with 64 teams representing 10 countries earning qualification to compete in flight at Skyway Range in Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 14–17.
RoboNation is working closely with Skyway Range and Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL) as the organization prepares to welcome students, educators, industry partners, and volunteers to the region.
“Students can spend years learning how these systems work in a classroom or laboratory, but there is enormous value in placing them in an environment where autonomous technology is actively being tested, developed, and deployed,” said Daryl Davidson, President and CEO of RoboNation. “SUAS gives students that bridge. They are solving difficult engineering problems, operating under real constraints, and meeting the companies and professionals who are tackling many of those same challenges every day.”
Workforce development remains a central focus of the SUAS Competition.
Participating students work across disciplines including aerospace and mechanical engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, communications, systems integration, and flight operations. Teams must bring those specialties together into a single aircraft capable of performing reliably and autonomously in the field.
That combination of technical expertise, collaboration, and real-world problem solving is increasingly important as demand grows for talent capable of designing, testing, manufacturing, and operating autonomous systems.
Throughout the event, RoboNation will work with its local and national partners to create opportunities for students to connect with the wider UAS community and gain greater exposure to career pathways within the industry.
The move to Tulsa builds on RoboNation’s broader commitment to locating its competitions in environments where students can see a direct connection between the systems they build and the industries they may one day help lead.
“Bringing the SUAS Competition to Skyway Rangeconnects the students developing the next generation of autonomous systems withthe environment the Osage Nation has developed to bring that future to life,” said Jason George, General Manager of Skyway Range. “We’re excited to welcome these teams to Tulsa, introduce them to the growing UAS ecosystem here and give them an opportunity to test their technology in an environment built for real-world innovation.”
The SUAS Competition is open to the public. The Tulsa community, industry, and media encouraged to attend and see the next generation of engineers in action, and enjoy food trucks and more onsite. Competition activities at Skyway Range run September 15–17, concluding with an awards ceremony. Media inquiries may be directed to Alicia Gavin at agavin@robonation.org.
Additional information about the 2026 SUAS Competition is available at suas-competition.org.
About RoboNation:
RoboNation, a nonprofit organization, is on a mission to provide hands-on robotics education, empowering students to tackle global challenges. With a portfolio of nine educational programs spanning K-12 and university levels, RoboNation cultivates the next generation of engineers, manufacturers, fabricators, programmers, and more. Participants in RoboNation programs represent the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow. Learn more at robonation.org.
About Osage LLC
Osage LLC is a division of the Osage Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribal government with headquarters in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Established in 2008 to build economic prosperity for the Nation and its people, Osage LLC serves as an economic driver for the Osage Nation, identifying and cultivating long-term strategic partnerships that enhance their effectiveness in expanding the economic footprint of the Osage Nation. For more information, visit osagellc.com
About Skyway Range
Skyway Range operates a 1,200-square-mile beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) uncrewed flight test range originally developed in partnership with Osage LLC, Oklahoma State University, and Tulsa Innovation Labs. With 4 droneports and diverse testing conditions in both rural and urban settings, Skyway Range has become a cornerstone of the nation’s uncrewed aircraft infrastructure. For more information, visit skywayrange.com.
Media Contact:
Alicia Gavin
Director of Communications and Marketing, RoboNation
Email: agavin@robonation.org
Phone: 571-455-4156
