The Journey to Abu Dhabi
- 2021
White Paper Phase
01 Oct, 2021 – 31 Jan, 2022Teams worldwide submitted white papers outlining their proposed approach to the Challenge. Semi-finalists were announced in March 2022.
- 2022
Simulation Phase
Oct 2022Shortlisted semi-finalist teams completed inspection and intervention tasks via simulation, in the presence of a judging committee. Teams submitted proof-of-concept videos demonstrating different sub-components of their systems and the feasibility of their approach.
The demonstration covered:
- Multi-UAV search and inspection of large representative structures
- Intra-swarm communication and collective decision-making
- Collective lift and transport of larger objects to a home location
- 2024
Demonstration Phase
Feb 2024The final live demonstration was held over several days in February 2024 in a specially designated maritime area off the coast of Abu Dhabi, where five finalist teams put their systems to the test.
Judging was against the clock, with total time to complete the Inspection and Intervention tasks (plus penalties) determining the winner. A maximum qualification time applied — failure to complete the tasks within that time was not considered successful. Where conditions allowed, teams were given multiple opportunities to complete the tasks.