ATHENA: Aerial Task Handling for Emergent Networked Autonomy

Overview

Our project tackles a big challenge: helping drones think and react more like humans in real time. Instead of relying on slow or limited systems, we designed a custom-built electronics platform that lets a drone process visual and sensor data directly on board. This means the drone doesn’t just capture information; it understands what it’s seeing while it’s flying. We developed and tested a circuit board that manages power, handles communication, and runs detection models efficiently. Through testing, we showed that our system can reliably process data quickly while staying within practical power limits, which is critical for flight. The result is a smarter, more independent drone that can respond faster to its environment. This kind of technology has a real-world impact, from improving search and rescue missions to monitoring environments and increasing safety in complex situations.

Awards (2)

• Silver Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Aerospace

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