UAV 2.0
The 7 kg quadrotor combined stereo vision, onboard inference, LiDAR and a servo winch. Its disassemblable frame also supported transport to Maryland.
Explore UAV 2.0 →From maritime support to an aerial mission.
UAV 2.0 carried X650 and PX4 foundations from RobotX 2024 into SUAS. New perception, onboard computing and a winch supported waypoint flight, mapping and one delivery within an 18-minute usable flight window.
- Mission demonstration
- 16thAAV campaign record
- Usable flight window
- 18 minTDR-reported, after reserve
- Campaign fleet
- UAV 2.0A dedicated aerial platform
The 2025 fleet.
Systems overview.
Mechanical
The established airframe carried a new delivery mechanism and a compact perception package.
Explore UAV 2.0 →
Lower the delivery payload
A compact winch replaced the RobotX arm approach. Its servo-driven wheel lowered the payload, with release near the ground intended to reduce tether entanglement. Mechanically constrained mounting kept the wheel secure beneath the aircraft.
A frame that travels
The Holybro X650 structure could be disassembled for travel-size luggage. Retaining this foundation let the team concentrate on payload and integration changes while keeping the aircraft practical to transport and rebuild at the venue.
Make space for perception
The new stereo camera and LD-06 LiDAR added depth and range sensing to the aircraft. Their installation gave onboard software both stereo images and surrounding distance measurements, while keeping the equipment close to the main airframe.
Electrical
Separate flight and payload power
Four distribution branches supplied propulsion, the Pixhawk and peripherals, the winch, and onboard computing. Regulated outputs matched their different voltage needs, keeping the power architecture tied to each subsystem's job.
Two routes to the aircraft
Radio control and SiK telemetry connected directly to the flight controller. A 4G link separately supported SSH access to the companion computer, allowing operators to run mission scripts and inspect mapping or detection output.
Software
More onboard compute connected stereo observations to mapping and delivery decisions.
Explore UAV 2.0 →Perception moves onto Jetson
Jetson Orin NX replaced the earlier Raspberry Pi processing platform. It ran YOLOv8 on ZED 2i images and a customised mapping pipeline, giving detection and spatial reconstruction a shared onboard computing path.
Separate guidance from stabilisation
MAVROS linked mission software with the Pixhawk 6X running PX4. The companion computer issued high-level commands, while the flight controller handled attitude and position control and the operator retained a direct override.
Range sensing for local avoidance
The LD-06 supplied surrounding range observations for the PX4 avoidance approach. Together with stereo vision, this provided local obstacle information for a planner designed to seek clear trajectories towards the mission goal.
Technical design report.
The original report covers the design, integration and testing behind this campaign.
SUAS 2025 proof of flight readiness
Team and supporters.
The 2025 team took UAV 2.0 to Maryland, building aerial perception and delivery experience for RobotX 2026.
Campaign achievements →Continue to RobotX 2026 →