Millions in prize money offered in DOD contest to design drones to haul heavy loads

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The Pentagon’s research arm is tapping into American innovation to design a drone that can carry more than four times its weight, a breakthrough capability that could be applied to both the military and civilian sectors.

Up for grabs in the Lift Challenge is $6.5 million in prize money. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s tactical technology office is sponsoring the contest, which kicked off earlier this month and closes May 1.

The competition “aims to shatter the heavy lift bottleneck” and “revolutionize the way we use drones across all sectors,” DARPA said in a statement on its website.

From reconnaissance to package delivery, small unmanned systems are proliferating on the modern battlefield and in the commercial industry, driven by simplicity, affordability and ease of operation.

But the challenges posed by heavy cargo are reflected in the DOD solicitation.

Multirotor, vertical-lift drones typically can maintain a payload-to-weight ratio of 1-to-1 or less, the agency said in a notice last fall announcing the contest.

“This restriction significantly limits their ability to carry heavy payloads or operate for extended durations,” the document said.

DARPA experts believe the 4-to-1 payload-to-weight ratio is plausible and are hoping to tap into the American “’garage inventor” spirit to come up with a crewless aircraft that is both lightweight and powerful.

“DARPA recognizes the best solutions often come from unexpected places,” Phillip Smith, the Lift Challenge program manager, said in a statement in November. 

To compete, designs must weigh no more than 55 pounds, including fuel or power source, and be capable of lifting a minimum payload of 110 pounds across a circuit course of 5 nautical miles, according to contest rules.

Participants must adhere to Federal Aviation Administration regulations and can expect to go head to head in live, unclassified performance trials this summer, DARPA said.

The contest is open to teams or individuals who are U.S. citizens or green card holders and who represent only U.S. companies or institutions.

Foreign teammates are allowed with a U.S. sponsor, but they cannot reside in any countries included on the State Department’s list of international arms trafficking regulation violators.

U.S. government and military organizations may apply to compete if their design has not previously received federal funds, according to the contest rules.

Prizes include $2.5 million for first place, $1.5 million for second and $1 million for third. DARPA also plans to hand out three $500,000 prizes for “subjective categories” like most revolutionary aerodynamic design.

For more information on the contest, go to: www.darpa.mil/research/challenges/lift.