Technological progress in fully autonomous flight has the potential to transform a vast range of industries and applications. These advancements could reshape how goods are transported, infrastructure is maintained, and how emergencies are responded to. Fully autonomous drones could carry out tasks like monitoring pipelines, or solar farms, supporting rescue missions as well as delivering good. These various applications have the potential of reducing the need for human operators in hazardous environments, increasing safety, and driving down costs.

In April 2024, out of the 14 participating teams from stage 1 nine teams from Germany and across Europe were selected to enter the second stage of the SPRIND Funke "Fully Autonomous Flight" competition. These teams were tasked with a grand mission: to reinvent the dream of flight. SPRIND, the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation in Germany, provided financial support of up to EUR 150,000 per team over both stages, aiming to push the boundaries of autonomous flight technology.

From September 16 to 19, 2024, these teams gathered at the air base in Erding, Bavaria, where they were competing to demonstrate a system capable of flying fully autonomously over a 9km track without using GPS or manual control. The track presented a mix of environments—urban areas, open fields, and forests—testing the drones’ real-time spatial awareness, complex 3D mapping, and precision control. Additionally, the drones had to deal with various disruptive factors such as smoke, fog and rain. 27 waypoints guided the drones through their journey – at the last one, they needed to identify and pick up a package. An audience of industry experts and potential investors closely observed the final demonstrations on 19th September and had the chance to visit the teams while they were preparing for the course.

Each team was given a "garage" to serve as a high-intensity workshop space to optimize their systems for the given conditions. The teams brought together experts across a wide range of disciplines, including electrical engineering, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence who worked tirelessly, fine-tuning their drones until take-off. Interdisciplinary teamwork and quick thinking were essential for solving the multi-faceted problems in autonomous flight.

Each drone consists of many interconnected hardware and software components, from sensors and cameras to AI navigation algorithms and communication systems. To ensure success, every system must operate with near-perfect reliability. Even with cutting-edge hardware like the latest NVIDIA Jetson platform, a drone’s performance will suffer if other systems are subpar or misaligned. The competition itself introduced further difficulties of flying under variable weather conditions. Rain and high winds across the first few days tested the drones’ stability and navigation systems. Despite crashing their drones more than once, the teams would not give up on their mission.

After four intense days including the final competition day, the expert jury—comprised of industry leaders and academics—selected three winning teams based on their performance, technological innovations, and potential for real-world applications. The standout winner was Fly4Future, a team spun off from the Technical University of Prague. Beyond Vision and KopterKraft (PathStrider) followed on the podium.

Further information on the SPRIND FUNKE can be found here.

The Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovations is responsible for organizing the Funke. The Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials, Fuels and Lubricants (WIWeB), represented by the Soldier Innovation Lab Erding, will provide the venue and the necessary infrastructure at Erding Air Base as well as experts for the technological evaluation of the solutions proposed by the participants.