Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Maryland UAS Team is a student competition team that competes in an annual Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) competition in St. Mary's County. This competition drives students to create autonomous aircraft capable of capturing ground imagery and transmitting it back to the team on the ground to search for a number of different targets. While searching, teams also have the option of completing a variety of other tasks, such as an airdrop to a bullseye on the ground and avoidance of simulated air obstacles. Last year, was the team's first year of competing and this year, we're hoping to put that experience to good use and make it to the top of the pack!
The students come from a variety of different backgrounds both in an out of the Clark School of Engineering. The team includes students from Aerospace, Biological, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering as well as Computer Science. Members then populate four different subteams as are logical from the requirements of the competition: Autopilot, Imaging, Communications, and Mechanical.
In order to compete at the highest level in this competition, there are a few things necessary for success. First, a mobile, highly organized ground control station is needed for members to efficiently monitor the state of the system while it's in the air and assess imagery as it comes back from the plane. Last year's system was a trailer that we rented which didn't allow us to make the preferred modifications. This year, we're hoping to buy a brand new trailer that will allow us to outfit it with the appropriate antenna arrays and computer systems in order to receive a clear signal from the plane.
Next, points are awarded for uniformity at the Flight Readiness Review, where we explain the details of the system that demonstrate our ability to fly safely. For our new members, this would mean buying one of the polos that the team had last year in order to be able to present with us. Instead, we would like to use the funds from this campaign to subsidize that cost for them so there is no barrier to participation at the competition.
Lastly, the team can't compete if they can't get to the competition. We would also like to use these funds to cover transportation and lodging costs. This is a four-day competition in St. Mary's county during the month of June. Many of our members will find themselves in their summer internships all over the country. We would like to be able to cover their transportation and lodging so that the whole team is able to attend.
Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.
You just bought gas for a 7-person vehicle to get to the competition!
You have just paid for an entire room of students for 1 night at competition!