The first U.S. Drone Football Championship showcase in New York will take place Sunday from 1-4 p.m. at the Wildcat Field House at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Marcy.
Organizers said the event is invitation-only due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. It targets middle and high school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educators, student clubs, and after-school initiatives statewide.
The showcase will include demonstration matches and information on equipment needs, team formation and league development.
“We are very excited to introduce and bring US Drone Soccer to New York,” said Bob Payne of CNY Drones. “It’s another way to get kids involved in drone technology.”
The demonstration is a collaboration between CNY Drones and many SUNY Poly student clubs. SUNY Poly’s Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), Wildcat Robotics, 3D Printing and Women in Engineering clubs meet regularly with CNY Drones.
Student clubs co-host demonstrations, tech meets, practices and competitions, according to SUNY Poly officials. Clubs are also hosting drone football meetings for SUNY students on campus.
CNY Drones is a community-based, volunteer-run organization that promotes drone-focused STEM.
The organization was New York’s first AMA Model Aircraft student club and has expanded its reach as an AMA Region II Affiliate for American football by drone in New York and New Jersey, according to information provided by the organization. .
The Air Force Research Lab, also known as Rome Lab, the Griffiss Institute, SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s College of Engineering and the Technology Alliance of Central New York (TACNY) supported CNY Drones with the soccer drone, the official said. ‘organization.
What is drone football?
Drone soccer is played with quadcopters flying in protective exoskeletons designed for collisions, according to information included in the student league announcement.
Teams of five players fly inside a net arena, where they smash and block an opposing team to prevent them from scoring.
Students who participate in drone soccer competitions must first learn how to build, program and repair drones as a team.
“The joy of flying is real,” US Drone Soccer President David Roberts said in a statement. “When a student takes a plane, then crashes and does his first repairs, he becomes an engineer for life.”
Drone soccer was introduced in North America in 2019, according to information provided by CNY Drones.
US Drone Soccer’s mission is to make aerospace careers accessible to all students, according to a Jan. 26 statement on the nationwide launch of student leagues.
Drone soccer is an educational esport that provides students with aviation skills through classroom lessons and extracurricular leagues for grades 6-12.
It is the only competitive student robotics program recognized as an international sport by the World Air Sports Federation. Another demonstration is planned for the world games in Birmingham, Alabama, in July.
National esports information can be found at https://dronesoccer.us/. Contact information for the league and New York State start-ups can be found on the CNY Drones Information Center: https://www.cnydrones.org.
Ed Harris is the Oneida County reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Ed Harris at [email protected].
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