September 22, 2014
If confidence is the magic ingredient, there’s absolutely no doubt Outback Joe will finally be rescued in the next few days, and the $50,000 prize money in the elusive Outback Challenge will be distributed.
Teams in the 2014 UAV Challenge gathered at Kingaroy Airport today for scrutineering and final briefings before the competition gets underway on Tuesday.
There were UAVS – unmanned aerial vehicles – of every shape and size … from mini-Cessna look-alikes and fighter jet replicas to hexcopters and flying wings.
The object for all is the same. To launch and autonomously locate a “missing bushwalker” (ie Outback Joe), drop him off a bottle a water and then return safely home.
This may sound easy, but some of the best and brightest minds from around the world have been trying to achieve this since the first Outback Challenge was held in Kingaroy in 2007.
In 2012, a Canberra UAV located Joe but didn’t manage to deliver the “rescue package” successfully.
Canberra team member Grant Morphett said the team was back again this year – with vastly improved technology – and were confident nothing would go wrong this time.
As well as the international teams, there are also a number of high school teams from around Australia taking part in a junior challenge. They are competing for a total of $10,000 in prizemoney: 1st $5000, 2nd $2000, 3rd $1000 and search phase winner $2000.
Flights will continue from the airport until Friday and spectators are welcome.
- External link: Follow the UAV Challenge
Related articles
- Will They Finally Rescue Outback Joe?
- Joe Found (But Not Saved)
- Can Anyone Find Outback Joe?
- UAVs Heading Back To Kingaroy
