Past Editions
Each year, the ADL Design Challenge takes on a different fixed-wing UAV design problem. Here’s what previous cohorts have worked on.
High-Endurance Mapping UAV
24 participants · 4 teams
Teams designed a fixed-wing UAV optimized for maximum endurance over a defined survey area. The winning design achieved 47 minutes of flight time on a single battery with full sensor payload. Key innovations included a neural-network-optimized wing planform and a novel propulsion-airframe integration.
Urban Delivery Platform
18 participants · 3 teams
The challenge focused on designing a compact fixed-wing UAV capable of operating in constrained urban environments. Teams explored hybrid configurations, VTOL-to-fixed-wing transitions, and automated landing approaches. Two teams successfully demonstrated autonomous flight in the Stanford test area.
Inaugural Edition - Reconnaissance UAV
12 participants · 2 teams
The first ADL Design Challenge brought together a small cohort to design a surveillance-class UAV with extended range and low acoustic signature. This edition established the program's core methodology: parametric design, AI-driven optimization, and rapid physical validation.
Past Editions
Scenes from previous cohorts in San Francisco - team formation, design sessions, prototype builds, and flight testing.
