Bath safety consultancy BMT Isis is to sponsor a national competition that encourages young engineers to work on innovative projects in the fast-growing area of pilotless aircraft.
Unmanned air systems (UAS) are already used in roles spanning surveillance and border control, agriculture and the media and are set to become commonplace over the next decade.
However, developers are award that it will be essential that public fears over safety are overcome. BMT Isis sees backing the Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Challenge 2015 as an opportunity to use its industry leading safety expertise to help entrants through all phases of the contest from initial concept and design through to the final fly-off which takes place in July.
BMT Isis technical assurance manager John Hoddinott, who is also the lead for safety on the UAS Challenge judging panel, said the contest would give teams an opportunity to follow through the design lifecycle for a representative, real-world application of UAS technology.
“I have been fascinated by the technically diverse and novel approaches that the different teams have taken to meeting the technical requirements,” he said.
UAS Challenge chairman John Turton added: “We’re delighted that BMT Isis has joined the UAS Challenge as sponsors. The competition encourages some of the very best young engineers to create genuinely innovative, engineering solutions.
“It will also help them learn practical aerospace engineering skills for industry, prepare aerospace engineering students for industry employment and encourage links between industry and universities. It’s thanks to the support of companies like BMT Isis that we can offer students this excellent career springboard.”
BMT Isis, a subsidiary of leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy BMT Group, provides technical and engineering analysis, advice, management tools, systems and training to designers, operators, managers, owners and investors.
