For complete official details and documentation, visit the ISRO IRoC-U2025.

IRoC-U 2025 – Technical Challenge Summary

Challenge Overview

Design and demonstrate an Autonomous Navigation System for an Aerial Vehicle (ANAV) that can function in a simulated Martian environment without any external navigation aids like GNSS, pseudolites, or reflectors.

Core Objectives:

• Execute fully autonomous:

  • Vertical take-off
  • Terrain-based navigation
  • Safe-spot detection and landing
  • Return to home base

• Navigation must rely solely on surface topography, not color or beacons.

• Participants will not build the drone — they may use off-the-shelf rotorcrafts that meet DGCA regulations.

Arena Layout

30 ft × 40 ft challenge arena with 1 ft yellow boundary.

The arena is designed to emulate Martian terrain using non-uniform, unstructured, and non-color-dependent topography, testing the drone’s ability to perceive, plan, and execute autonomous act

Arena Specifications:

• Dimensions: 30 ft × 40 ft (approx. 9.1 m × 12.2 m)
• Boundary: 1 ft wide yellow strip running along all edges for visual demarcation
• Flight Altitude: Min. 3 m; Max 6 m
• Enclosure: Optional netting around arena perimeter

Home Position & Landing Zones:

• Home Pad: 4 ft × 4 ft flat platform at a fixed corner of the arena

• Safe Landing Zones: Two or more 5 ft × 5 ft areas located within the arena

  • At least one will have an inclined 15° slope
  • Participants must demonstrate slope landing stability

Terrain Composition:

To mimic Martian surface irregularities, the arena floor will include:

• Loose sand and fine gravel
• Medium-sized pebbles and thermocol to simulate loose top layer
• Embedded boulders and raised undulations (1.5 ft to 2.5 ft high)
• Uneven terrain distribution, forcing real-time mapping and adaptation

The surface is not level. Drones will need to dynamically identify flat areas for landing using onboard sensors, not rely on color, GPS, or any pre-mapped coordinates.

Technical Requirements

ANAV System Specifications

Challenge Tasks

Common Across All Rounds

• Stable vertical take-off (3–10 m hover)
• Maintain hover for ≥30 seconds
• Arena scan and boundary detection
• Identify ≥1.5 m² safe landing zones
• Land at multiple safe spots
• Return to home location
• Real-time telemetry: X, Y, Z, velocities, battery, and safe-spot coordinates

Navigation Modes

Challenge Rounds

1. Preliminary Round

• Submit proposal (≤15MB) outlining:

  • Concept
  • Technical approach
  • Innovation

• Proposal score: 10/100 (rest to be announced)

• Only 1 team per institute, with HoI approval

2. Qualification Round

Tasks:

• Take-off from 1.2 m × 1.2 m home location
• Hover at 3–10 m height for ≥30 sec
• Land within the same zone
• Demonstrate emergency-safe landing

Deliverables:

• HD videos with clear timestamps
• Complete ANAV design documentation
• Recordings must be at the institution site

3. Elimination Round

• Arena: 30 ft × 40 ft, bordered by 1 ft yellow strip

• Home Pad: 4 ft × 4 ft flat surface

• Landing Zones: 5 ft × 5 ft, at least one with 15° slope

• Terrain: Uneven with 1.5–2.5 ft high undulations made from:

  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • Thermocol
  • Small boulders

• Netting around arena is optional

• Flight altitude: Minimum 3 m (upper bound unspecified)

4. Field Round (URSC Bengaluru)

• Same configuration as Elimination Round
• Added requirement: Return to original home zone after final landing

Glossary

Prohibited & Mandatory Rules

• No GNSS, reflectors, pseudolites, or external positioning systems
• Must comply with DGCA and Ministry of Civil Aviation rules
• Only the first team per institute will be accepted into the competition