Record Droniada Junior and a new contract
The third edition of Droniada Junior has come to an end. As usual, with a record number of participants, a growing level of competition and invariably great passion of children and youth for drones. The final of the event took place on 28th -29th of May in the Complex of Mechanical and Electrical Schools in Rybnik, with which the Silesian University of Technology signed a cooperation agreement.
Almost 70 teams from over 20 Polish cities and the Vilnius district competed in the grand final. Let us remind you that in the first stage, which was the Grand Test of Drone Knowledge, more than 650 pupils took part. To get to the next round, one had to get at least 90% correct answers. The second stage took place for the first time in several locations, but for the final the participants came, as always, to Rybnik.
- Two days of the Droniada Junior Finals tournament, which this year has already entered the international level are behind us. The event was accompanied by amazing emotions, but also extraordinary skills of the youth, who perfectly coped in the execution of as many as three tasks – namely: Obstacle course, programming and flight on the simulator – recalls the Deputy Director of the Silesian University of Technology Branch in Rybnik and the President of the PBL Academy Foundation, Dr Eng. Aldona Rosner, the main organizer of Droniada Junior.
The opening of the event was attended bu. Vice-Rector for General Affairs of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Bożena Skołud, Director of the Centre for Défense and Dual-use Technologies Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Arkadiusz Mężyk, Director of the Silesian University of Technology Branch in Rybnik Dr Hab Zygmunt Łukaszczyk, Prof. SUT, Mr. Bartosz Dominiak, General Director of the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Mr. Paweł Dąbrowski from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration.
- It is a great event and a very important one. It is important that young people learn to use this technology for a good purpose. Drones are meant to serve humans, not the other way around. Their application can be very helpful, for example in the case of searching for people and access to difficult places during dangerous fires. That is why I am glad that so many people start in Droniada Junior and present a very high level – explains Vice-Rector Bożena Skolud.
During the event, a cooperation agreement between the Silesian University of Technology and the Complex of Mechanical and Electrical Schools in Rybnik was signed. Pupils will be able to use laboratories and take part in mentoring programs of the Silesian University of Technology.
- The agreement concerns education in the drone technology specialization at this school, and our University is represented by the Centre for Défense and Dual-use Technologies. The potential of this cooperation is huge, because it gives young people a chance to further develop in the topics they feel best about. We hope that we will be able to attract new students. This year, we are launching a new field of studies in defence and security systems engineering, in which one of the key technologies is drone technology. That is why we want to listen to the voice of young people and find out what they expect from a higher education institution. - explained Prof. Arkadiusz Mężyk.
The tournament was held in two-person teams, thanks to which the participants had the opportunity not only to develop engineering and technical interests, but above all to develop cooperation and communication skills. In the final, the competitors faced the three competitions in three categories. The organizers emphasized that compared to the previous edition the level of the tournament has significantly increased in the junior category, the winner was the duo, which travelled the farthest to the event, because they came from the Lithuanian Niemenczyn.
The organizers of the Droniada Junior are the PBL Academy Foundation and the Mikromakro Institute. The Silesian University of Technology has been a substantive partner of Droniada for many years.
Final results of Droniada Junior
Boys:
- 1st place - Franciszek Grzech and Kamil Hyliński (Parobki), Public Primary School No. 1 in Nienadowa in the School Complex in Nienadowa,
- 2nd place - Jan Rak and Tomasz Rabiega (Raczki), School Complex in Przyszowice,
- 3rd place - Mateusz Kolasik and Adam Kolasik (Team 50 No. 2), Primary School No. 50 in Lublin.
Cadets:
- 1st place - Maciej Wiszniowski and Tadeusz Pyka (Flying Wiewiurki), School Complex in Przyszowice,
- 2nd place - Igor Caponga and Wojciech Pietrasiński (Droniarze from Bemowo), Primary School No. 150 named after Walery Wróblewski in Warsaw,
- 3rd place - Adam Motyka and Jan Długosz (Puchacze 1), Primary School named after Captain Witold Pilecki in Żyznowo.
Juniors:
- 1st place – Edvin Paršuta and Robert Stanski (KPG1), supervisor: Mariuš Tumaš, Junior High School named after Konstanty Parczewski in Niemenczyn,
- 2nd place — Szymon Olejnik and Krystian Wiechciński (Airstrike), II Secondary Comprehensive School named after K.K. Baczyński in Konin,
- 3rd place —Maksymilian Wieczorek and Łukasz Bernacki (Fryczaki), II Secondary Comprehensive School named after A. Frycz Modrzewski in Rybnik.
