Teams entering the GoAERO competition can succeed with or without autonomous capabilities. While GoAERO seeks to advance "autonomy-enabled" emergency response aircraft, solutions can range from entirely pilot-controlled systems to highly automated ones, with many successful approaches likely to fall somewhere on this spectrum. Teams might choose to automate certain flight phases while maintaining manual control for others, or develop adaptive systems that offer both manual and autonomous modes depending on the situation.
So why does GoAERO emphasize autonomy at all? It's about maximizing real-world impact. When emergency responders need to reach someone in crisis, their focus should be on the rescue mission, not on complex aircraft controls. This is where autonomy becomes valuable – not as a requirement, but as a tool to make these systems more accessible and effective in the field.
In GoAERO's context, "autonomy-enabled" simply means creating systems that emergency responders can use with minimal training and workload. The goal is to ensure that these aircraft can be operated by existing emergency response teams, allowing them to maintain their focus on what truly matters: saving lives.
The competition's scoring system reflects this flexible philosophy. While teams can achieve excellent scores with manually and remotely controlled aircraft, the scoring system includes bonus points for features that reduce operator workload. For instance, teams can earn additional points by completing missions with minimal operator inputs or with a smaller operating crew. These bonuses recognize that reducing operational complexity can make emergency response aircraft more practical and deployable in real-world scenarios.
Think of it this way: if you're a firefighter trying to reach someone trapped by a wildfire, or a paramedic responding to an emergency in a remote location, your primary concern is helping the person in danger. Any mental bandwidth spent on complex flight controls is bandwidth taken away from the core mission. This is why GoAERO encourages – but doesn't mandate – autonomous capabilities.
The competition's three missions – Productivity, Adversity, and Maneuvering – can all be successfully completed at any point along the autonomy spectrum. What matters most is that the aircraft can perform the required tasks safely and effectively, whether that's rapidly deploying from a ground vehicle, operating in challenging conditions, or navigating around obstacles.
For teams considering their approach to GoAERO, the key is to focus first on building a capable aircraft that can complete the core mission requirements. Autonomous features can then be added strategically where they provide the most value – whether that's in takeoff and landing, navigation, or obstacle avoidance. Some teams might automate routine flight phases while maintaining manual control for complex maneuvers, while others might develop fully autonomous systems or focus on enhancing manual control through augmentation.
By embracing this spectrum of autonomous capabilities, GoAERO encourages innovation while keeping the competition accessible to a wide range of teams and approaches. This flexibility ensures that the competition can draw from the broadest possible pool of solutions, ultimately leading to better emergency response aircraft that can help save lives when every second counts.
Ready to join the challenge? Whether your team's expertise lies in manual flight controls, autonomous systems, or anywhere in between, there's a place for your innovation in GoAERO.
