The Purdue Aerial Robotics Team (PART), a multidisciplinary group of over 50 aerospace, mechanical, electrical and software engineering students, competed in June at the 2022 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Student Unmanned Air Systems (AUVSI SUAS) competition placing seventh out of more than 70 international teams for their technical report.

The AUVSI SUAS competition, held at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS) Webster Field in St. Mary's County, Maryland, requires students to design, integrate, report on, and demonstrate an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) capable of autonomous flight and navigation, remote sensing via onboard payload sensors, and execution of a specific set of tasks. The competition is designed to stimulate interest in UAS technologies and careers, and to engage students in a challenging mission. It has been held annually since 2002.

PART was founded in 1996 as a committee within the Purdue IEEE Student Organization. The team’s mission is to create a UAS to compete in the AUVSI SUAS competition and consists of both engineering and non-engineering focuses. The engineering goals are to create mathematical and physical models, construct prototypes, and develop relationships with companies, encourage a collaborative work environment, communicate effectively with team members, and provide learning opportunities for student of any discipline and experience level.