18 September 2023

The team led by the Nordhausen professor was once again successful at the International Micro Air Vehicle Conference and Flight Competition (IMAV2023) in Aachen - an annual conference for micro air vehicles with an associated competition. Prof Klaus-Peter Neitzke (Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences), Dr William Thielicke (OPTOLUTION Messtechnik GmbH in Lörrach) and Prof Ruben Jubeh (OTH Regensburg) took first place with their DIPOL team ahead of the "Fantail" team from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the "Black Bee Drones" team from the Federal University of Itajubá in Brazil.

Fourteen international teams took part in the competitions from 11 to 15 September 2023 and attempted to solve the complicated tasks of the competition. At this year's IMAV, in addition to a reconnaissance mission in a disaster area, the handling of the aircraft with objects was also demonstrated. The task consisted of grabbing components with the copters, flying through gates and then building a tower from the components. Points were awarded for each of these subtasks and totalled for the overall score.

Team DIPOL exclusively used quadrocopters. These are aircraft with four propellers that either flew fully automatically on the IMAV2023 or were controlled using video goggles. The aircraft developed at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences were the most complex and ultimately only they were able to stack the components.

Drones have been developed that can not only fly, but also have a remote-controlled robotic arm. This can be moved in flight, it can pick things up and put them down again. The applications for this are almost unlimited. In addition to building houses, collecting rubbish is also conceivable. It is also possible to pick fruit or plant crops. The flying devices used by the Nordhausen team weighed around 500 grams and can fly at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour.

"The strict adherence to the time schedule was particularly challenging. After months of preparation, the team was allocated a 15-minute slot at this competition in which all the tasks set had to be completed. If something doesn't work, the disappointment is huge." Team DIPOL was even prepared for crashes. When a turn was taken too tightly with the first aircraft, the second identical copter was immediately deployed, as it was not possible to repair it in the short time available.

Klaus-Peter Neitzke is extremely satisfied after the award ceremony: "We are really delighted with the award and that everything went so smoothly for our team. The IMAV is a practical event where there is a great exchange of theory and practice between the international research teams." The students from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences are also always involved. On the one hand, their ideas flow into the development of the aircraft, and on the other, they can compare their ideas with those of the other teams. And finally, the lectures for the students are always kept up to date. In conclusion, Klaus-Peter Neitzke is delighted: "This time we were right at the front."