FACTS & FIGURES - Of the 143 teams to start the competition in 2015 , only 25 teams remain representing 16 countries . - Virginia Tech is among the 15 teams sponsored by event organizer Khalifa University -- and one of three U . S . -based teams .
distance , determine the correct wrench from several options , grasp it , and turn a valve 360 degrees . In challenge three , teams will use up to three drones to perform two tasks : identify and pick up 23 objects lying on the ground , then deliver them to a specific location and carry a bulky object – a task that the team believes will require multiple drones working in concert .
The fourth challenge will require teams to complete the first three challenges simultaneously , pushing the researchers to ensure their vehicles can effectively communicate with each other without human intervention .
The technology needed to accomplish these tasks has major implications for the future of autonomous robotics and therefore communities of the future . Such technology can help with delivery services in dynamic environments , warehouse and factory automation , and improved search-and-rescue missions , for example .
“ The biggest challenge we ’ ve faced has been the software ,” said Haseeb Chaudhry of Lahore , Pakistan , a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and
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