UAH to host SAPIENCE drone competition July 7-11

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will host the 2025 SAPIENCE Drone Competition from July 7-11, 2025. Top-tier teams from around the world will travel to Huntsville to showcase their innovative drone solutions and AI technologies for disaster relief missions.

International event will showcase the future of unmanned aerial vehicles and AI for disaster relief and other critical missions

Supported by NATO's Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Program, this competition offers attendees a unique opportunity to be part of a historic moment in the advancement of drone and AI technology.

When: Monday, July 7 – Friday, July 11 The event is open to the public on the following days:

● Competition:

Tuesday, July 8, 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 10, 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

● Awards and Expo: Friday, July 11, 8-2 p.m. (Awards will be at 11 a.m.)

Attendees should dress for hot weather and wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen.

Food trucks will be available on site from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Additional event details are available on the RSESC Facebook page.

The SAPIENCE – or "Sense & Avoid - a cooPeratIvE droNe CompEtition" – project significantly advances the field of autonomous systems by leveraging artificial intelligence for enhanced perception and guidance autonomy in drones.

The Huntsville event is the second in a three-part international series. Top-tier teams from around the world will travel to Huntsville to showcase their innovative drone solutions and AI technologies for disaster relief missions. Teams from City St. George's, University of London in London, England; Delft University of Technology in Delft, Netherlands, and the University of Klagenfurt in Klagenfurt, Austria, will compete alongside the team from UAH to showcase their innovative drone solutions and AI technologies for disaster relief missions.

Through a series of collaborative competitions, this initiative fosters innovation in search and rescue operations, enabling multiple drones to effectively navigate and map GPS-denied environments, detect and deliver aid to victims, and perform complex cooperative tasks. By integrating cutting-edge AI techniques, the project not only enhances the capabilities of autonomous systems but also contributes to disaster response efforts, potentially saving lives and improving safety in critical situations.