Track 03 · UAVs & Aerospace

Beyond sight: measure the distance.

UAVs, Aerospace & Autonomous Systems

Problem statement by

Track 03 · UAVs & Aerospace

0 teams registered in this track · updated daily

Problem context

A small drone flies towards a wall, a tree or a person. It must know how far away each object is, across everything it can see, and know it quickly.

Problem statement

Theme: Beyond Sight: Spatial Intelligence for UAVs

Design and develop a system capable of estimating the distances of objects across a defined field of view.

The system must satisfy the following minimum depth estimation coverage angles. These are the angular regions within which the system must estimate object distances, not merely detect their presence.

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Areas you will work on:

Depth and distance estimation
Sensing mechanisms and algorithms
Angular coverage and range
Response time, reliability and cost

Minimum coverage

Horizontal depth coverage: 80°
Vertical depth coverage: 30°

Freedom of approach

Participants are free to choose their own technologies, sensing mechanisms, algorithms and engineering approaches.

Participants are not required to develop a UAV. The challenge focuses exclusively on depth estimation, and solutions may employ stationary, scanning or other suitable sensing configurations.

Evaluation parameters

Accuracy
Detection range
Angular depth coverage
Response time
Reliability
Cost efficiency
Innovation

Objective

Develop an innovative depth estimation system that balances angular depth coverage, accuracy, range, speed, reliability and affordability.

Expected outcome

A depth-estimation system that measures distance, not just presence, across at least 80° horizontally and 30° vertically.

What to deliver

A working depth-estimation system, with a clear account of its coverage, accuracy, range, response time, reliability and cost.

Evaluation

Scored on three rubrics; the Grand Finale rubric is provisional. See the rubrics

Timeline

Registration runs 12–31 October 2026. The Grand Finale is on 28 November 2026. See the full timeline