UAV Outback Challenge

UAV Outback Challenge

Coordinates: 26°34′50.08″S 151°50′23.79″E / 26.5805778°S 151.8399417°E / -26.5805778; 151.8399417

The UAV Challenge - Outback Rescue, often referred to as simply the UAV Outback Challenge or UAV Challenge, began in 2007 and has been held every year since. The event is aimed at promoting the civilian use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the development of low-cost systems that could be used for search and rescue missions. The events have been cooperative efforts between a number of organisations with interests in furthering the use of unmanned aircraft in civilian applications. The Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (a partnership between CSIRO and Queensland University of Technology) has been a member of all six organising committees (2007 to 2012). The Queensland State Government was a co-organiser from 2007 to 2011 and a supporter in 2012. From 2007 to 2009 the event was also co-organised with Boeing Defence Australia. From 2011 to 2012 the event was co-organised by AUVS-Australia. There is a thorough scoring system with a clear emphasis on safety, capability and technical excellence. The format of the Challenge changed in 2011 with the Search and Rescue Challenge moving to a two-year long event.

The event is one of the largest robotics challenges in the world and one of the highest stakes UAV challenges, with $50,000 on offer to the winner of the Search and Rescue segment of the Challenge. The Search and Rescue Challenge takes place in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia at the airport.