“Each team brought a novel approach, from developing custom autopilot systems to creating promising vertical take-off and landing technology, advanced safety mechanisms, and more.”
Lindsey Groark, Vice President of Programs, RoboNation
CALIFORNIA, MARYLAND – RoboNation’s 2024 Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) Competition came to an exciting close with a team of students from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia taking first place. The event, held at St. Mary’s Regional Airport, saw 36 teams take flight and compete against leading universities from around the world. The SUAS Competition took place from June 25 – 27, 2024, and brought together more than 400 university and high-performing high school students from 9 countries across 4 continents.
“Winning the SUAS 2024 Competition is an unforgettable milestone for us. We poured our hearts and countless sleepless nights into this project. This competition was a playground for innovation and our passion for engineering,” said Ahmed Alrabeah, Captain of the KFUPM team.
The annual SUAS Competition, managed by RoboNation, a nonprofit educational organization, offers students a competitive environment to test their skills in designing, building, and deploying autonomous aerial vehicles, known as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs). Since its inception in 2002, the competition has inspired countless students to pursue careers in the rapidly expanding UAS industry.
“We were particularly excited to see the depth of talent this year at the competition. Each team brought a novel approach, from developing custom autopilot systems to creating promising vertical take-off and landing technology, advanced safety mechanisms, and more,” said Lindsey Groark, Vice President of Programs at RoboNation. “Teams came prepared for the challenge this year. It was clear that previous participants took the time to evaluate their systems and find efficient ways to attempt the mission.”
Top Placing Teams from the 2024 SUAS Competition:
- 1st Place and Best in Mission: King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals – UAS2030 (Saudi Arabia)
- 2nd Place: Istanbul Technical University – ITUNOM UAV Team (Turkey)
- 3rd Place: Institute of Technology, Nirma University – TEAM ARROW (India)
- 4th Place: Ramaiah University of Technology – Edhitha UAS (India)
- 5th Place: Istanbul University – Cerrahpasa – ATLAS UAV TEAM (Turkey)
To learn more about the SUAS Competition and the 2024 teams, visit suas-competition.org. For media inquiries and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alicia Gavin at agavin@robonation.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.
Media Contact:
Alicia Gavin
Director of Communications and Marketing, RoboNation
Email: agavin@robonation.org
Phone: 571-455-4156
