Wildlife Conservation UAV Challenge

Rules & Regulations

Latest Version: October 21, 2013

The challenge Rules & Regulations may be modified/supplement at any time before the final competition. Updates will be posted on the wcUAVc webpage and emailed to all the registered teams.

Mission

Across Africa and Asia, a war is being waged by organized and well armed criminal networks to kill all the remaining rhinos for their horns – valued on the black market higher than gold. Rangers on the ground are ill equipped to stop the poachers, often outnumbered and out gunned by a criminal network that invests in technology and intelligence to ensure their access to the remaining rhinos. But teams of bright people around the world are invited to join together in a Wildlife Conservation UAV Challenge to create a fleet of aircraft optimized for the counter poaching mission.

Objective

The WCUAVC will foster innovation and invention in the design, fabrication, and utilization of unmanned aircraft to assist with counter poaching and illicit wildlife trafficking. It calls on students, hobbyists, academics, and corporations to cooperate in a Build & Fly challenge to create aircraft optimized for the counter-poaching mission.

Battleground

Kruger National park lies in the north-east of South Africa, in the eastern parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. It is one of the largest national parks in the world, with an area of 19,485 square kilometers (7,523 sq mi) The park is approximately 360 kilometers (220 mi) long, and has an average width of 65 kilometers (40 mi). At its widest point, the park is 90 kilometers (56 mi) wide from east to west. To the north and south of the park two rivers, the Limpopo and the Crocodile respectively, act as its natural boundaries. To the east the Lebombo Mountains separate it from Mozambique. Its western boundary runs parallel with this range, roughly 65 km distant. The park varies in altitude between 200 m in the east and 840 m in the south-west near Berg-en- Dal. The highest point in the park is here, a hill called Khandzalive. Several rivers run through the park from west to east, including the Sabie, Olifants, Crocodile, Letaba, Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers.

The climate of the Kruger National Park and Lowveld is subtropical. Summer days are humid and hot with temperatures often soaring to above 38 °C (100 °F). The rainy season is from September until May. September and October are the driest periods, culminating in rains late in October.

Scenario

The scenario provides a framework for thinking about the WCUAVC and its potential impact on countering poaching.As dusk descends on the Kruger National Park in South Africa, a family of black rhino moves quietly away from the water hole towards a resting place in the bush. They are among the last of their kind, having been hunted to near extinction, and this evening they are not alone. A group of men have entered Kruger from neighboring Mozambique. They come from a poor village, but they are carrying expensive weapons and a digital map indicating suspected rhino locations.

Traffickers in the criminal network paid a good price for the equipment and information, but it will be well worth the effort if they are able to kill a rhino. The horn is one of the most valuable materials on Earth, worth more than gold on the streets of Vietnam and China where it is believed to have great medicinal power. Criminal networks profit on that superstition, while environmentalists race to educate potential consumers to the reality that the composition of rhino horn, a material called keratin, is about the same as human fingernails, and that simply eating your own nails would provide more keratin than a typical dose of rhino horn. Perhaps in a few generations the demand for rhino horn will decrease, but unless the poaching is stopped, the rhinos will be gone in just a few years.

Stopping the poachers has been a losing proposition. In a Park the size of New Jersey (7580 miles2), poachers have been relatively free to operate despite the constant presence of Rangers on foot and in ground vehicles. Poachers are supported by a modern and well-funded intelligence network that includes human sources, signals intercepts, and aerial surveillance. By early October, there have been 730 rhinos poached in South Africa during 2013 – a dramatic rise over the past few years. Experts blame the dramatic increase in affluent populations in Asia, where rhino horn has become a designer commodity. With the demand increasing, organized crime syndicates have moved into the business of wildlife exploitation, estimated at $19 billion in black market trade in 2012. Kruger National Park is the main battle ground for the world's rhino, where 450 have been lost already this year. Kruger National Park was the first reserve in South Africa, established in 1898 as Sabi Game Reserve. It became the Kruger National Park in 1926.

The men travel on foot several miles into the park to a secluded area where they will spend the day in hiding. With so few Rhinos remaining, it can take several nights to cover the distance on the ground, and travel during daylight would be too risky. Poaching Rhinos in South Africa is a serious crime, and a confrontation with Rangers likely would turn into a dangerous gun battle. They are there to kill defenseless animals for profit, not engage in risky battles. They will take their time, approaching Rhinos at night and hiding during the day. Then escaping back into Mozambique during the night.

In 2001, an agreement was reached to include Kruger National Park into what is now known as the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. In the years following, fences along the border of Kruger between Zimbabwe and Mozambique were removed to support the Peace Park. With more than 300 kilometers of unfenced border, the rhinos of Kruger National Park have become vulnerable to poachers, and with rhino horn selling for as much as $80,000 per kilogram in 2012, organized criminal networks have moved in to profit. Along with wildlife products, the border is rife with the trafficking of humans, narcotics, weapons, and stolen vehicles.

Poachers and Rangers are not the only people in the Park. Tourists flood the Park hoping to get a glimpse of rhinos and elephants before they are gone. Permits are issued by the Rangers along with RFID tags that enable the Rangers to keep track of where they are in the Park at all times. Rangers also carry RFID tags so their locations are accessible back at Park Headquarters as well.

The following evening the men proceed with earnest from their hidden camp. They received a coded message via cell phone that rhinos had been spotted just a few miles from their location. Posing as tourists, spotters for the criminal network had provided timely and accurate intelligence. A human source among the rangers had provided accurate information on planned ranger patrols. Travel on foot at night in Kruger can be slow, but the men are confident that they will have their kill. With better intelligence, weapons, and funding, the poachers have little fear of the rangers.

Changes have occurred at Ranger Headquarters. Rangers had experimented with aircraft developed for other purposes, but affordable aircraft lacked the sensing, processing, and communications essential to the mission. In a battlefield, people are assumed to be combatants. Small aircraft can be deployed ahead of ground forces, alerting them to the presence of enemy soldiers. But in a Park the size of Kruger, detecting poachers and planning engagements are complicated.

We need to create a new class of aircraft with multi-mode sensing and on-board decision-making. Drawing on technologies developed for the smart phone industry, we need to integrate sensors and computers into compact avionics. Drawing on revolutions in additive manufacturing, we can now compress the time from concept to flight for prototype aircraft from years to days; and a decreased cost for developing new small aircraft from millions to just a few thousand dollars.

Back in the Ranger Headquarters an alert is received from one of the new Wildlife Conservation UAVs that are providing surveillance over the remaining rhinos. Humans have been observed via thermal imaging sensors within 5 miles of the rhino family. The aircraft received responses from the RFID tags on the rhinos but no response was detected from the humans. The aircraft came down in altitude, passing quietly, low and slow over the humans, probing with magnetic sensors able to detect the presence of weapons. On board computers processed the infrared imagery, and registered the locations and bearings of the humans. The aircraft climbed back to cruise altitude and sent an alert via TCP/IP over the Parks 4G network that although sparse at ground level is continuous at aircraft cruise altitudes.

An elite group of Rangers is called into action, but it will be at least an hour before they can engage the poachers, and there is now less than 2 miles between the poachers and rhinos. The aircraft is tasked with enforcing a buffer until the rangers can arrive.

Still unaware they have been detected, the poachers continue moving toward a mother rhino and her baby. They are confident that within the next 30 minutes they will have a kill. Above them, a Wildlife Conservation UAV prepares to intervene. It plans an approach taking into account the locations of poachers and rhinos to ensure it drives them apart and not together.

Dropping down to just tens of feet above the ground, the aircraft suddenly surges forward with propulsors on full power. The Poachers hear the roar of the engines but still cannot see the aircraft approaching. Suddenly the aircraft flashes a visible laser in the face of the poachers. Believing they are under attack, the poachers respond with a rapid burst of automatic weapons fire. But by the time they fire the aircraft is long gone, now rising back to cruise altitude and no longer audible on the ground. The aircraft processes the sound profile of the recorded gunshots and sends an alert describing the types of weapons. With shots fired, the rules of engagement have changed.

The future still needs to be created. Locally, nationally and internationally, the Wildlife Conservation UAV Challenge is open to students, hobbyists, innovators, and entrepreneurs to create the best technology solutions to save endangered species from extinction.

Guidelines

Unlike traditional Build & Fly contests with sets of clear and unambiguous rules, WCUAVC has only guidelines intended to help channel the overall effort towards creating operational aircraft that are optimized for the counter poaching mission. All Teams will contribute to the operational system that goes into production. After the Challenge, all Design Reports and Challenge Flights will be examined from the perspective of what might work best in an operational system. Even if your Team's overall score is not high, you might have discovered the key to creating a better operational aircraft. You can also contribute to the the operational system without joining a team. Sign up as a Technical Expert and make yourself available to help Teams.

Contest Site

The Contest Site has not been selected. The intent is to select a site that closely matches the terrain in Kruger National Park and is accessible to all Teams.

Team Requirements

Locally, nationally and internationally, Wildlife Conservation UAV Challenge is open to students, hobbyists, innovators, and entrepreneurs to create the best technology solutions to save endangered species from extinction. At least one member of each team (the Pilot) must have flight insurance. An easy way to obtain insurance is to become a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). Team advisers may be academics or professionals. There are no restrictions on the number of team members.

Team members may be updated/changed at any time during the Challenge. Following initial team posting at the Challenge beginning we will make a “One Time” update to the team member lists posted on the website one month before the final challenge. Teams requesting a team member list update must submit an updated copy of the wcUAVc Team Application form with all fields fully filled (but only the team member information may be changed).

The number of entries is limited to a maximum of 100 teams. If more than the maximum number of team entries is received during the submission period, the first 100 team applications received will be selected.

Sponsorship

Teams may solicit and accept sponsorship in the form of funds or materials and components from commercial organizations. All design, analysis, and fabrication of the Challenge entry is the sole responsibility of the team members.

Schedule

The Challenge will be composed of four phases.
Entry – Starting October 21, 2013
The entry form can be found at www.wcuavc.com. Be sure to include all information requested in the form. We will use the first (valid) entry received so be sure all supplied information is correct the first time.

Concept – By January 31, 2014
Teams will propose a concept that includes aircraft, communications, sensors, and embedded systems. All proposals will be reviewed. Those that comply with basic requirements will be approved for the next phase. (The sooner you submit the sooner you receive a response.)

Build & Fly – By April 30, 2014
Teams will design, build, and fly their aircraft and demonstrate airworthiness, communications, and safety at their local flying fields. The Build & Fly Completion form will be available at www.wcuavc.com. The form must be signed by a Team Adviser and be accompanied by a sort video documenting Build &Fly (MP4 File Type). All teams completing Build & Fly will be approved for the next phase.

Design Report – By June 30, 2014
Teams will submit a written Design Report. The report must include a description of hardware and software for avionics and embedded systems and demonstrated performance. The teams awarded the highest points will be approved for the nextphase. Teams will also receive recognition for best airframe, best avionics, and best- embedded systems.

Final Challenge Flight – August 30, 2014
Teams will compete in the Challenge Flight scenario. The Challenge will involve a mission profile that includes launch within a time window, climb to operational altitude of 300 feet above ground level (AGL), transit to several GPS way-points, collection of video and RFID tag data, on board processing, communications, return to base, and recovery.

Specific details of the challenge scenario will not be released until the morning of the competition, so teams will need to be prepared to adjust flight profiles, sensor parameters, and data processing as needed.

Kruger Mission – Date to be Determined

Five members of the winning team will participate in a safari and counter-poaching mission in Kruger National Park. Other team members and sponsors can participate at their own expense. The mission will include several days of demonstrations and operational flights. Sponsoring companies also can bring aircraft to Kruger for demonstrations.

Communications

The Challenge sponsors will maintain a World Wide Web site containing the latest information regarding the contest schedules, rules and participating teams (www.wcuavc.com). Questions regarding the Challenge should be sent to the contest director at: director@wcuavc.com. Official questions and answers will be posted on the website.

The sponsors will also utilize Facebook and Twitter as additional means of communicating with the teams during the Challenge (https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeConservationUAVChallenge) (Twitter: https://twitter.com/WcUAVchallenge)

Aircraft Requirements – General

One of the principal objectives of the WCUAVC is to create low cost aircraft that can perform the counter-poaching mission. The ideal aircraft will be low cost and high performance with a proper balance being key to winning the Challenge and more importantly, countering poaching. The take-off gross weight with payload must be less than 55 lb in order to comply with AMA flight insurance requirements. The aircraft must remain substantially the same as documented in the Design Report. Teams may make small modifications to the design to improve flight performance after the report submission, but Teams must submit a revised report prior to the Challenge Flight.

Aircraft Requirements – Safety

All aircraft will undergo a safety inspection by a designated safety inspector prior to being allowed to make a Challenge Flight. The aircraft must meet all of the safety requirements specified in the Build & Fly Completion form in order to participate in the Challenge Flight. If the aircraft has been modified after the Build & Fly Completion, a new (current) form must be submitted prior to the Challenge Flight.

On site safety inspections will include: (1) compliance with Build & Fly requirements; (2) on site evaluation of structural integrity; and (3) on site demonstration of communications systems.

All aircraft must have a mechanical motor arming system. The device must be located so it is accessible by a crew member standing ahead of the propeller(s) for pusher aircraft and standing behind the propeller(s) for tractor aircraft. The “Safety Arming Device” must be in “Safe” mode for all payload changes. The aircraft communications should always be powered on and the throttle verified to be “closed” before activating the motor arming switch.

Evaluation

Teams will be evaluated based on aircraft performance, communications performance, imagery quality, embedded systems performance. and bill of materials cost.
Aircraft Performance: Aircraft will be evaluated based on ease of launch, endurance, and ease of recovery.
• Launch

◦ Radio Controlled Launch – 10 points

◦ Autopilot Controlled Launch – 20 points
• Endurance

◦ 30 minutes – 10 points

◦ 60 minutes – 20 points

◦ 90 minutes – 30 points

◦ 120 minutes – 40 points

• Recovery

◦ Radio Controlled Recovery – 10 points

◦ Autopilot Controlled Recover – 20 points

◦ Within 20 meters of recovery zone – 10 points

◦ Within 10 meters of recovery zone – 20 points

Communications Performance: Communications performance will be evaluated based on communications range, continuity of coverage, and accessibility over Internet capable devices (Laptops, Tablets, Smart Phones, etc.). The range will have limited 3G/4G communications. Aircraft can use this commercial (Telemetry over IP)infrastructure, but will need to have back up radio links to achieve a high continuity of coverage.
• Range

◦ 5 kilometers – 10 points

◦ 10 kilometers – 20 points

◦ 20 kilometers – 30 points
• Continuity

◦ 25 to 50% – 10 points

◦ 51 to 75% – 20 points

◦ 76 to 100% – 30 points
• Accessibility over IP Devices

◦ Partial – 20 points

◦ Full Telemetry Including Video Streaming – 40 points

Imagery Quality: Imagery will be evaluated based on resolution, stability, and low ambient light level performance.
• Resolution

◦ 100 centimeter line separation@300 ft AGL – 10 points

◦ 10 centimeter line separation@300 ft AGL – 20 points
◦ 5 centimeter line separation@300 ft AGL – 30 points

• Stability

◦ Electronic Image Stabilization – 20 points

◦ Physical Stabilization – 20 points

◦ Electronic and Physical Stabilization – 40 points

• Low Light Level ◦ Dawn/Dusk Level (above targets) – 20 points

◦ Nighttime – 30 points

Embedded Systems: Embedded systems will be evaluated based on ability of on board systems to detect ground targets in imagery. Some ground targets will simulate humans and large animals. Some targets will be moving.
• Detect & Geo-Register Moving Targets – 30 points

• Detect & Geo-Register Animal Targets – 30 points

• Identify Animal Targets – 40 points

Cost: System cost will be evaluated based on Bill of Materials Cost for aircraft and all associated air systems. Sensors, Launchers and other Ground Systems will not be included.

Bill of Materials includes the following:
• Airframe Including Power, Propulsion, and Controls;

• Avionics Including Autopilot, Navigation, and Communications; &

• Embedded Systems Including Data and Imagery Processors.

◦ < $5000 – 20 points

◦ < $4000 – 50 points

◦ < $3000 – 100 points

◦ < $2000 – 110 points

◦ < $1000 – 120 points

Stretch Goals: For creative and innovative ideas beyond the required specifications teams can earn bonus points.