Call for Applications for the First UAV Competition in Memory of Karen Vardanyan
2 min readYEREVAN, Armenia — On May 18, 2021, a press conference was held announcing the launch of the first UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) competition in memory of Karen Vardanyan. The competition is organized by the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia (RA), the RA Ministry of High-Tech Industry, the American University of Armenia (AUA), and the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE).
The speakers at the press conference were Avetik Kerobyan, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation; Arman Poghosyan, member of the Board of Trustees of the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation; Armine Hayrapetyan, the focal point for the “ResponDrone” project at the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations; Hayk Aslanyan, adviser to the RA Minister of High-Tech Industry; Raffi Kasarjian, CEO of UATE; and Satenik Mnatsakanyan, chair of the AUA Engineering Sciences program and AUA’s manager of the ResponDrone project.
The UAV competition will take place in September 2021 in Lernapat village of the Lori province of Armenia. It aims to seek new solutions from the participants to increase the effectiveness of emergency measures for rescuers, and first responders using UAVs.
Held in three categories, the competition will gather schoolchildren, amateur groups, and startups or specialized companies to solve simple, medium, and complex tasks in respective groups. Using UAVs, the participating groups are expected to complete the following tasks: find the source of a fire; find the injured; and deliver the survival package while extinguishing the fire with liquid substances. They can also offer solutions that are not listed here. After review by the management committee, they can be included in the list of suggested problems, if deemed relevant.
Applications for participation in the UAV competition are accepted from May 6 to May 26, 2021. At the end of the application phase, participants will be provided with a description of the specific tasks to accomplish.
The UAV competition is organized within the framework of the ResponDrone project, an international project co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the Korean government. The project is dedicated to developing and applying a situational awareness system in emergency situations, providing critical information and communication services to first responders.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
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