Drone Info Day Kicks Off Regional Competition

Drone Day @ The Parkway

UTICA, NY – Last week, CNY Drones introduced their STEM-based Team Drone Challenge, Rig Rescue, to attendees of Drone Info Day @The Parkway.  In cooperation with the City of Utica Youth Bureau, CNY Drones hosted the free 4-hour event at the Utica Parkway Recreation Center with indoor and outdoor recreational drone demonstrations. The public was invited to an afternoon of learning, sharing and networking with local drone enthusiasts, engineers, and educators.  The day featured flight simulators, a hands-on first-time flyer test flight zone, recreational drone demos with First Person Viewing, a live build & repair station, 3D printing, and information on safety, education, MultiGP Drone Racing, and Academy of Model Aeronautics clubs.  The day’s activities revolved around the introduction of a 30-foot by 60-foot netted drone competition arena created for presenting low cost, STEM-based team drone competitions.  This year’s challenge, called Rig Rescue, is a themed competition is based on a story of a malfunctioning off-shore oil platform.  Teams will be dispatched to navigate through shark infested waters to help secure the facility and retrieve platform workers and data. CNY Drones will be working with community groups and organizations to assist in the development of teams to compete in April 2018.

Drone Info Day and the Rig Rescue Competition are part of CNY Drones’ efforts to promote STEM, build a safe flying community, and provide awareness of drone technology educational and employment opportunities. CNY Drones provides a recreational drone information hub, STEM-based interactive demonstrations, workshops, clinics, tech meets, competitions and mentoring.

CNY Drones’ volunteers provide programs with the assistance of sponsors, partners and grants.

For more information on CNY Drones, visit www.CNYDrones.org, @CNYDrones on Twitter and Facebook, or email: CNYDrones@gmail.com.

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