Eight teams, and ticket sales open!
Eight international teams have registered for DroneClash! During this competition the teams use their highly sophisticated drone(s) to take down as many other drones as possible, RobotWars in the sky as it were. Teams need to bring at least two drones per battle, but they can use more if they want to. They also need to avoid a number of anti-drone interventions. The teams will battle on 13 February in a former airbase hangar in the Netherlands. Besides fun and a truck load (filled to the top) of honor, the teams battle for €50.000 prize money.
The Teams
Our teams consist out of university, hobbyist, government, and company teams. Their tactics are similarly versatile, ranging from hacking to flamethrowers. Some place emphasis on speed while others are going for heavy defenses. We are looking forward to finding out which tactics will prevail in the arena.
Ticket sales
Ticket sales has started. A ticket costs €15,- (ex. VAT) and gives access to a whole day of drone related activities. Besides the battles, there will be ClashExpo (a drone security expo), live outdoor drone demo’s, and some other smaller activities. One of the prizes is an audience award, as a visitor you can help choose who wins the best pilot award. You can book a ticket here.
The Clash
On 13 February, participating teams will gather in one of Valkenburg airfield’s hangars (the Netherlands). There will be a tournament with two to four teams battling each other simultaneously in a round. Each team has one or more ‘Fighter drones’ which they can use to take down other drones, and a so-called ‘Queen drone’ which they need to defend. The audience can experience the competition as a sort of real life video game.
The teams start in the Battle 1st Arena, where they have to start trying to take each other down right away. The surviving drones fly through the Hallway of Doom Death and Destruction, where they will be attacked by anti-drone instruments. Finally, the remaining drones enter the Queen palace where they must try and knock out the Queen drones of the other teams. Whoever scores the most points is the winner.
A real problem
DroneClash is a competition that is fun but, at the same time sets out to help manage the real world problem of nefarious drones in society. Drone development has grown hugely in recent years, and the anti-drone industry growing with it. Ideally, these developments keep each other in check and result in a safe and responsible incorporation of drones in our daily lives. Delft University of Technology’s Micro Air Vehicle Lab (MAVLab) in cooperation with the Dutch National Police are organizing DroneClash to generate new ideas in order to encourage this process.
TUS Expo
This summer, DroneClash announced a new partnership with Robo Business Media, the organizing company of RoboBusiness Europe and TUS Expo (13-15 February 2018), the premier robotics and unmanned systems events in Europe. The day before the actual TUS Expo trade show and conference, DroneClash and TUS Expo will have a joint day of TUS Expo outdoor demo’s and the DroneClash event.