IARC 2026

Mission 10: cleared proof of autonomy. Three runs at Mission 10, a simulated minefield flown by a team of autonomous aircraft.

Mission: Mission 10, simulated minefield
Date: 12 August 2026
Proof of autonomy: Cleared (4 of 7 teams did)
Runs: Three
Closest run: One mine left in the path
Full mission: Not completed by any team

Mission 10: cleared proof of autonomy.

Edhitha UAS took part in Mission 10 of the International Aerial Robotics Competition on 12 August 2026: coordinated multi-UAV operation, environmental perception, threat mapping and safe-path planning, all in a simulated minefield.

We cleared the proof-of-autonomy stage, as four of the seven teams did. No team completed the full mission this cycle, so Mission 10 carries into the next year, and so does our work.

From the field

Our 415 g aircraft, flown at Mission 10.

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The mission

Autonomous take-off

A team of lightweight aircraft takes off on its own and heads for the minefield. No pilot from here on.

Integration and reliabilityMany subsystems working as one platform.

The mission

Survey

The field is split into lanes. Each aircraft scans one half of its lane on the way out, under strict time constraints.

Multi-UAV autonomyA coordinated group of lightweight aircraft working to one objective.

The mission

Identify

A U-turn, and the other half on the way back. Threats are found and placed as the cameras pass over them.

PerceptionInterpreting the surroundings and spotting threats.

The mission

Map

Back on their pads, the aircraft turn their observations into spatial information the mission can use.

LocalisationKnowing position and the spatial relationships in the field.

The mission

Path

From that map, the system works out a path through the field.

Navigation and planningTurning environmental information into mission decisions and movement.

The mission

Path delivered

The path is handed over. We were one of the only teams to give a path.

Next cycle

Detection and mappingImprove reliability and robustness under changing conditions.

IntegrationTighter links between spatial understanding and navigation.

ValidationMore end-to-end testing of coordinated multi-aircraft behaviour.