On Jul.13, the Kookmin United Team of ELCO (ELectronics & COmputer), one of the 'Clubs and Activities' at the School of Electrical Engineering, Kookmin University (KMU), won the grand prize in the 2023 Mini Drone Autonomous Flight Competition held at MONA YONGPYONG in Pyeongchang-gun.
 Organized by The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers (KIEE), this competition served several purposes. Firstly, it aimed to expand the base of the drone industry, which has recently attracted significant research efforts, both nationally and internationally. The second goal was to train software professionals through experience in system planning based on open source technology. Lastly, the competition aimed to enhance the leadership and system planning skills of engineering students and graduate students, ultimately fostering professional skill development. In the competition's finals, drones were equipped with came ras that recognized rings and markers, guiding their movements based on these markers as they passed through the rings. Subsequently, participants measured the time it took for the drones to land accurately at the designated landing point, following a predetermined route autonomously.

Students from IT (Electricity, Electronics) departments across the nation who wished to participate submitted their applications, followed by a two-stage qualification process and four workshop sessions to evaluate their skills. From these applicants, the top 20 teams advanced to the finals. They engaged in various challenges, such as assessing the performance of the mini drone's sensors using standard hardware provided. Additionally, they competed in both basic and autonomous drone flight capabilities. The Kookmin United Team of ELCO emerged victorious, achieving the grand prize by successfully landing their mini drone at the designated point in the shortest time.

Jung Hyun-Woo, the leader of the Kookmin United Team and the recipient of the grand prize, shared his thoughts, saying, “Firstly, I previously gained valuable experience as a team member in a drone contest, where I also won the grand prize. However, this time, it feels refreshing to relive that honor as a team leader, and I consider this moment highly significant. Above all else, it was thanks to the dedication and hard work of my team members that we achieved such outstanding results. I want to express my appreciation to them for a job well done.”

Oh Mi-Kyung
Reporter
ilavu1038@kookmin.ac.kr