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Airbus launches a Cargo Drone Challenge, a commercial drone design competition

Posted by Marco Sterk on

Amateurs and professionals alike can compete for $117,500 in total prize money

Following the launch of its first joint pilot project for the co-creation of the next generation of commercial drones, Airbus Group and Local Motors have officially kicked off the 'Cargo drone challenge', an open competition to identify and design a premium drone solution to transport quickly urgent medical supplies to people and places that are traditionally difficult to reach.

The starting design of this competition would be Airbus Quadcruiser’s hybrid concept, combining the VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) and hovering capabilities of the well-known quad-copter design with the speed and cruise efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft by using an additional pusher motor.

The top selected projects will then be reviewed before potentially becoming part of an industrial program. Attractive incentives will be awarded along with many opportunities for the top winners.

Visit the dedicated Cargo drone challenge website and learn more about the required drone features and possible business cases. 

Partnering with the future

In May 2015, Airbus Group announced a plan to establish its Silicon Valley operations with a fully independent venture capital fund and an innovation center branded A3. With an initial capital of $150 million, Airbus Ventures's main mission is to identify and invest in the most visionary entrepreneurs in the global aerospace ecosystem.

By partnering with Local Motors, Airbus Group will leverage the synergy of Local Motors’ experience and expertise in global co-creation and local micro-manufacturing with its depth of technical and engineering knowledge as a major aeronautical manufacturer.

“The opportunity to work with Airbus allows Local Motors to expand its proven co-creation expertise into the aerospace sector,” said Local Motors co-founder and CEO Jay Rogers. “When we harness the power of the crowd, we can innovate and iterate on products at a pace many manufacturers didn’t think was possible. We advance hardware at the pace of software.”

“This partnership underlines the high interest of the Airbus Group to engage in the commercial drone segment, challenging traditional aerospace processes and driving our organization towards adaptability in this dynamic and rapidly growing market,” said Jana Rosenmann, SVP Head of Unmanned Aerial Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.

Source: Airbus Group


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