From 31 August to 4 September 2026, the SWARMER project team took part in an intensive week of drone field testing as part of preparations for the technological challenge taking place in November.
Testing technology under development in an operational setting is a major step forward in any innovation-related project. The challenge preparatory week delivered substantial progress in module integration while also providing valuable lessons and key takeaways that will support further refinement of the system.
The trials week was organised by ORDEAL, the challenge organiser. SWARMER, together with the other participating teams, tested its technologies ahead of the first-year evaluation.
Key achievementsDuring the week, the team:
successfully integrated software and hardware modules;
tested the drone in an operational environment;
gained valuable insights into how to further improve system performance ahead of the first-year evaluation.
Based on the results of the trials, the team also established a clear strategy for addressing the remaining technical constraints and continuing intensive preparations for the first-year evaluation.
The meeting provided an additional opportunity to hold initial discussions on the objectives and key aspects of the Year 2 Challenge, which will take place next year.
