✈️ The COLOSSUS project, also part of the RefMap Project -led Aviation Twin Transition Cluster, is organising a challenge for Universities to design the perfect wildfire-fighting fleet of airplanes! If you are a University or University student, take a look at the conditions and sign up to receive more information 👇
🔥 Wildfire growth over the past few years has reached unprecedented and uncontrollable levels. Within 2023 alone, wildfires in Europe contributed to as much burnt area as twice that of Luxembourg and it is predicted that by 2050, the frequency of significant heatwaves and wildfires will grow up to +500%. Outside of Europe wildfires are just as severe, as within the first weeks of this year, wildfire devastation is breaking records. The Los Angeles wildfires are now the most costly in history, with economic loss predictions being close to $250 billion, dwarfing previous records, alongside the priceless loss of 27 human lives [AccuWeather.com]. With such concerns, the need for novel firefighting strategies and designs is rising. To aid in such efforts, the COLOSSUS project is hosting a design challenge targeting university students across the World! 🌍 🚀 The challenge: 🚀 Form a team with your peers with the task of designing new aircraft that can aid in the future of wildfire fighting whilst innovating on novel solutions that can be used alongside your aircraft. Develop creative wildfire fighting approaches in a set of scenarios, representing an open-ended problem where there is no "one size fits all" and multiple, disparate solutions are possible! Curate your firefighting fleet; from detection to suppression, teams will be given the chance to design the System of Systems (SoS) from the ground up. Fleet composition, suppression tactics, aircraft specific operations, and more are all modifiable! Put your engineering skills and ingenuity to the test with the SoS Xploration Grand Challenge! Universities can sign-up now 🔗 [https://lnkd.in/dBiNX9PB] and become part of the mailing list to stay updated with all challenge on-goings and discuss with the challenge committee. University sign-up deadline is February 15th with the challenge ending in August. Start dates will be set on a per University basis through bilateral agreement. Teams (BSc, MSc and PhD students) must have a valid university contact point to participate. 📣 Showcase your engineering ingenuity and problem-solving skills, with the winning team being rewarded with a sponsored European conference invitation in 2025! 💡
