Ukrainian Students Create FPV Drone Attachments During Brave1 Challenge

Ukrainian students have developed prototypes of mechanical attachments for FPV drones as part of the first engineering challenge by Brave1 called “Drone with Paws.”

This was reported by the cluster, according to Oboronka.

Participants were tasked with creating a mechanical attachment for an FPV drone that would allow it to land and secure itself on natural and artificial elevated surfaces, remain attached without consuming energy, and perform a controlled release to continue flight.

A total of 33 teams from 15 universities and four vocational schools took part in the “Drone with Paws” challenge.

According to the expert jury, the highest level of engineering logic, realism of implementation, and potential for integration with drones was demonstrated by:

• “Deer Horns” from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute;

• TICK from Kharkiv Aviation Institute;

• iKozaky from Donetsk National Technical University.

They shared a prize fund of 90,000 hryvnias.

In addition, five Ukrainian defense companies, including drone manufacturers Darts, General Chereshnya, and Defender Dynamics, selected 10 teams whose solutions have the greatest potential for practical application.

Over the next month, they will work together with the companies’ R&D specialists to further develop their solutions.

“This challenge marked the launch of a new direction by Brave1 — Brave Students — which engages students in solving real technological tasks in the defense tech industry. Through engineering challenges and cooperation with companies, we are bringing education and the market closer together so that talented students can find their place in the industry earlier, and the defense tech sector can more quickly gain a new generation of engineers,” Brave1 noted.

In addition, during the event Brave1 presented a platform for student internships in the defense technology sector, created jointly with robota.ua. A total of 44 manufacturers joined the initiative, offering paid part-time internships (up to 50%) so students can combine work with their studies.

The Brave Students project “Drone with Paws” was launched in February and is aimed at finding engineering solutions for so-called “loitering” FPV drones.

Brave1 also supports Ukrainian solutions to counter aerial threats. In particular, the cluster provided a grant to Sky Hunter to further develop the guidance system of interceptor drones targeting Shahed drones and helped attract private investment into the Ukrainian legal entity.