The American Helicopter Society (AHS) has challenged students to design an electric-powered micro air vehicle (MAV) with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. In order to meet specifications provided by AHS, the MAV must weigh less than 500 grams and have no dimension greater than 45 cm. The MAV also has to take off from a home base and avoid an obstacle while traveling to a target search area where it has to locate and hover over three specified targets. The MAV must then return to the home base to land. This whole process must be completed within an allotted time of 10 minutes. Teams are scored on the uniqueness, innovation, and robustness of their design as well as the functionality of the MAV. For autonomous MAVs, the originality of the programming of the vehicle will also be considered in the final competition score.

This competition engages students in an authentic STEM activity, enabling them to think critically, work in a team, approach hard deadlines, and perform smoothly under pressure. The NDSU team is comprised of predominantly engineering students, who are also required to learn software, participate in K-12 outreach, and communicate with the public.