HARDWARE DEPLOYED
Project Valkyrie (Quadcopter)
OVERALL RESULT
All India Rank 5 (out of 102)
The 2026 National Drone Techfest presented one of the most rigorous autonomous navigation challenges to date. Competing against 102 engineering institutions, AeroClub was tasked with deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of navigating a GPS-denied obstacle course while carrying a modular payload.
Technical Approach & Structural Design
Our engineering team utilized a custom carbon-fiber chassis, specifically laid up in our fabrication lab to reduce total dry weight by 14% compared to the previous year's iteration. This weight reduction allowed us to mount a heavier sensor array without compromising flight endurance.
Avionics & Autonomous Execution
The core differentiator for our AIR 5 ranking was the robustness of our avionics stack. Relying on an advanced sensor fusion algorithm combining optical flow and LiDAR data, Project Valkyrie successfully mapped the indoor environment in real-time, completing the circuit with zero structural collisions.
This achievement stands as a testament to the club's iterative design philosophy and our focus on bridging theoretical code with physical deployment.