STEM Students Soar in ONR-Sponsored Battle Blimps Showdown

The Defend the Republic competition, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), showcased brilliantly colored, lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles in a recent event at George Mason University, Virginia. These vehicles, equipped with various tools like propellers, flapping wings, and grappling hooks, aimed to maneuver balls through hoops suspended from the ceiling while attempting to outmaneuver opponents.

This installment of the competition included student teams from 10 universities, eight of which received ONR support. The event provided a platform to highlight the ingenuity of these students, guided by ONR-backed professors. Defense was a key challenge, requiring participants to design autonomous swarms of LTA vehicles adept at adapting to changing conditions.

The ability to control these vehicles has significant potential applications for the Navy, ranging from disaster recovery to reconnaissance and delivering humanitarian aid. “Defend the Republic is not just a competition but also a valuable proving ground and program review,” said Dr. Michael LaFiandra, a division director in ONR’s Warfighter Performance Department. He emphasized the event’s role in revealing what works best under real-world conditions.

Each match consisted of two 30-minute halves, pitting teams of undergraduate and graduate engineering students against each other. Blimps, made from lightweight materials like balsa wood and mylar, and filled with helium, were equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, and microprocessors. Students pre-programmed these blimps to operate autonomously during the competition.

Dr. Scott Koziol, an associate professor at Baylor University, noted the diversity of defensive strategies. Teams displayed tactics such as bobbing up and down to distract opponents and pinning adversaries against walls or the ceiling. His team, the Baylor University Blimps, excelled both in autonomous control and defensive maneuvers, ultimately winning the competition by defeating Indiana University’s Hoosier High Flyers.

Koziol highlighted the educational benefits for his students, emphasizing the hands-on engineering experience and the development of leadership skills among graduate students. Dr. Or Dantsker, an assistant professor at Indiana University Bloomington, praised the competition for driving his students to become versatile engineers capable of both hardware and software integration under challenging conditions.

ONR’s LaFiandra pointed out the broader implications of the competition: “Through Defend the Republic, we get the next generation of scientists and engineers to work together, perform first-class basic research and support broader STEM efforts.” The event not only tested technological prowess but also fostered collaboration vital for future technological advancements.