Mission Description
- Real-World Problem: Traffic isn’t the only logistics challenge – delivering critical supplies quickly and efficiently is also crucial, especially in emergencies or to remote areas. Traditional delivery trucks can be slow in congested cities or unable to reach isolated oil fields or desert camps. That’s why the UAE and Qatar are exploring drone delivery.
- Task: Design a prototype for a drone-based delivery system. Students might focus on medical deliveries (e.g. transporting first-aid kits, blood units or medicines to clinics and rural areas) or on general package delivery in cities. The mission could involve building a small drone or using a simulation to show route planning. Key components: a mechanism for loading/unloading a small parcel, a navigation system (GPS waypoints or vision-based landing markers), and safety features (automatic return or obstacle avoidance, which can be simulated). Teams should demonstrate how a request is placed and how the drone knows where to go (perhaps via a custom app or control interface). If building a real drone is difficult, a presentation with animations or a software simulation of multiple drone routes could suffice, but integrating a real micro-drone flight demo would be awesome.
- Key Skills: Robotics (drone mechanics and control), programming (for autonomous flight or route algorithms), GIS/maps knowledge, IoT communication (linking drone and a control server/app), and understanding of aviation safety (to address regulatory/safety considerations in their design).
- Expected Impact: Drone delivery can slash delivery times from hours to minutes. In critical scenarios – say a heart medicine needed in a distant farm – a drone could be life-saving. This mission’s solutions would also reduce carbon emissions by taking delivery vans off the road. A network of delivery drones aligns with Dubai’s vision of a high-tech logistics hub and Qatar’s drive for smart infrastructure. By demonstrating viable drone deliveries, students contribute to a future where sky highways support healthcare, e- commerce, and disaster relief. The expected outcome is a more efficient logistics ecosystem: imagine hospitals getting emergency supplies via drone or residents receiving e-commerce orders at their doorstep from the sky. It’s the kind of innovation that positions the UAE and Qatar as leaders in smart logistics, in line with their national innovation strategies .
Student Goal
Design a prototype for a drone-based delivery system. Students might focus on medical
deliveries (e.g. transporting first-aid kits, blood units or medicines to clinics and rural areas) or on
general package delivery in cities. The mission could involve building a small drone or using a
simulation to show route planning. Key components: a mechanism for loading/unloading a small
parcel, a navigation system (GPS waypoints or vision-based landing markers), and safety features
(automatic return or obstacle avoidance, which can be simulated). Teams should demonstrate how a
request is placed and how the drone knows where to go (perhaps via a custom app or control interface).
If building a real drone is difficult, a presentation with animations or a software simulation of multiple
drone routes could suffice, but integrating a real micro-drone flight demo would be awesome.
Mission Information
Status
Open
Deadline
December 31, 2025
Category
Corporate
Grade
—
Rewards
Recognition, Internships, Prizes
Presented by
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