BENGALURU: As part of the Open Day organised by the IISc on Saturday, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Lab under the Department of Aerospace Engineering conducted drone competitions. Thousands flocked to catch a glimpse of the drones at IISc’s airfield.The three main competitions included the Roto Lemon-n-Spoon Race, Roto Rescue and the Roto GP. While the Lemon-n-Spoon race had the drones carrying a spoon holding a lemon along a track, the Roto Rescue had the drones landing on multiple pads located among obstacles to showcase how they can be used during rescue missions. The Roto G had the drones racing across the field to beat the fastest time.
“We conduct these competitions to provide a platform for enthusiasts to test the endurance of their equipment and to showcase their skills,” says S N Omkar, head of the department. The youngest participant was Aaradhya Kulshreshta (14). “I’ve always been interested in this. I used to make planes when I was young because it was a lot cheaper. But soon enough, I started building drones,” he says.
Another team, We Fly High, a company that works with robotics and automation, spoke about the increase in participation over the last few years. Apart from the teams, the crowd seemed to love every minute of the event. “I saw the drones flying. It was really exciting,” said eight-year-old Aaryan. The competition is into its third year