SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT) and Drone Racing League (DRL) today announced an
innovation competition, challenging teams to develop artificial
intelligence (AI) technology that will enable an autonomous drone
to race a pilot-operated drone – and win. Participating teams will
compete in a series of challenges for their share of over
$2 million in prizes.
Lockheed Martin Chief Technology Officer Keoki Jackson announced the challenge at
TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco,
kicking off a multi-year partnership with DRL, the global
professional circuit for drone racing. The AlphaPilot Innovation
Challenge will enlist university students, technologists, coders
and drone enthusiasts to push the boundaries of AI, machine
learning (ML) and fully autonomous flight.
"At Lockheed Martin, we are working to pioneer state-of-the-art,
AI-enabled technologies that can help solve some of the world's
most complex challenges – from fighting wildfires and saving lives
during natural disasters to exploring the farthest reaches of deep
space," said Jackson. "Now, we are inviting the next generation of
AI innovators to join us with our AlphaPilot Innovation Challenge.
Competitors will have an opportunity to define the future of
autonomy and AI and help our world leverage these promising
technologies to build a brighter future."
The AlphaPilot challenge aims to accelerate the development and
testing of fully autonomous drone technologies. AlphaPilot
participants will design an artificial intelligence/machine
learning framework, powered by the NVIDIA Jetson platform for AI at
the edge, capable of flying a drone – without any pre-programming
or human intervention – through challenging multi-dimensional race
courses in DRL's new Artificial Intelligence Robotic Racing (AIRR)
Circuit.
"Since 2016, DRL has been the proving ground for the world's
most talented human pilots, showcasing their abilities to race
remotely piloted drones at high speeds. This challenge changes the
game," said DRL CEO and Founder Nicholas
Horbaczewski. "How close is AI performance to the world's
best human piloting? We're excited to find out next year when
AlphaPilot drones compete in adrenaline-packed, futuristic drone
races on complex courses in the AIRR Circuit. Our collaboration
with Lockheed Martin will both accelerate AI innovation and
redefine the sport of the future."
The Lockheed Martin AlphaPilot Innovation Challenge will open
for entries in November. Selected participants are eligible for
over $2 million in cash prizes,
including an extra $250,000 award for
the first team that outperforms a professional DRL human-piloted
drone. Undergraduate and graduate students, drone enthusiasts,
coders and other technologists interested in learning more and
applying to participate can visit
lockheedmartin.com/alphapilot.
Lockheed Martin is funding the AlphaPilot Innovation Challenge
through savings from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The
corporation is also using savings from tax reform to increase its
investments in research and development and capital expenditures,
employee training and educational opportunities, investment in
technology startups, and STEM education programs.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
This year, the company received three Edison awards for
groundbreaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and
directed energy.
About Drone Racing League
DRL is the professional
drone racing circuit for elite FPV pilots around the world. A
technology, sports and media company, DRL combines world-class
media and proprietary technology to create thrilling 3D drone
racing content with mass appeal. Founded by Nicholas Horbaczewski in 2015, DRL is a
privately held company headquartered in NYC. For more information
on DRL, visit www.drl.io
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin