The Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) Competition, founded in 2002, is an international robotics competition managed by RoboNation in which teams design, build, and operate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The competition brings together teams from around the world to participate in an event that includes design reports, flight readiness reviews, and mission demonstrations. The competition tasks reflect real-world UAS applications, such as autonomous navigation, object detection and classification, precision payload delivery, and interoperability with simulated air traffic control. All mission elements must be completed autonomously, with minimal human intervention once the system is airborne.
Cabrillo Robotics intends to compete in the 2026 SUAS competition, which will take place in Maryland, and is expected to host over 50 teams.