The main objectives of the competition are to improve the system of professional training of qualified personnel for high–tech industries of the Russian Federation; to expand the ways of scientific interaction and information exchange between teams specializing in unmanned aerial vehicles; to create conditions for demonstrating high potential for the introduction of innovative developments and projects in priority areas of science and technology development.

"Self–driving is a hot topic that sounds from everywhere, and you are the people who will build the country's future in this key industry. "Aerobot" is a competition not so much between you, but with the technology itself: you need to cope with the challenge, find solutions that do not yet exist.

It's great that Aerobot remains a platform that gathers caring engineers from all over the country to the SFedU from year to year. Competitions are our calling card, we are immensely glad to see you at the site of the Southern Federal University. I wish you good brainstorming sessions and difficult decisions, because only in difficult situations unique technologies are created," Evgeny Mukhanov, Vice–rector for Strategic Development and Research at SFedU, stressed in an address to the participants.

The rapid development of information technologies and artificial intelligence technologies in the leading countries of the world has led to a rethinking of the concepts of using UAVs, improving the payload and making them multi-purpose. The main vector of development is aimed at increasing the intelligence of UAS, autonomy and improvement of the concept of group application of UAS, including in conjunction with land-based and sea-based RTCs. In this area, the RiPU SFedU Research Institute is one of the recognized world leaders, which is confirmed by a large number of successfully completed research and development projects.

It is impossible not to mention the achievements of the Advanced Engineering School "Cyberplatform Engineering" of the Southern Federal University. The competitiveness of the industry is determined by the development of autonomous navigation systems, communication systems that can operate in "noisy" conditions, and control systems, including for autonomous drone swarms. SFedU's research focuses on the development of robotic systems technologies, understanding their key importance for technological independence and defense capability of the Russian Federation, creating breakthrough solutions that correspond to world developments or even outstrip them.

"The expert community, which operates not only on the Airboat, but also within the framework of the Dombai Conference, has been preaching for several years the need to switch to autonomous systems in civilian areas and, first of all, in the military. Here we find understanding in various ministries of our country.

Autonomous systems are the future of tactical battles. They can significantly reduce the combat cycle, which is critically important on the battlefield. Many armies of the world are actively working in this direction, and we must not lag behind. Therefore, your task is to bring home this competitive spirit after the Airboat, an understanding of the importance of autonomous systems in real projects, which, I am sure, will be supported by the state and society in the near future," said Vyacheslav Pshikhopov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Director of the RiPU Research Institute, co–chairman of the organizing committee of the competition.

University students and representatives of manufacturing enterprises under the age of 39 take part in the "Airboat". This time, experts and engineers starting their way in the field of UAVs from Moscow, Nalchik, Tomsk, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog came to the SFedU – a total of 16 teams. Some participants who visited SFedU last year are returning to try their hand again.

The "Aerobot"-2024 was divided into two stages: simulation (in the virtual software environment of the simulator simulator) and full-scale (at a real training ground using real UAVs). The participants were able to try their hand at completing three tasks: object search (to find the coordinates of the geometric center of the maximum number of specified objects in the horizontal plane relative to the starting point), passing the route by signs (there are signs in the form of QR codes on the floor of the room, in which a number is encrypted indicating the number of the doorway into which it is necessary to pass to continue the task) and high-speed passage of the route (to take off the UAV, bypassing obstacles and / or flying through the "gates" present on the highway, make a landing and do it as quickly as possible).

Before the test flight, the participants were given several training attempts. Traditionally, soldering stations, a 3D printer and other tools have been prepared at the site, which allows you to quickly find a solution in an emergency situation.

An excursion to the Sambek Heights People's Military Historical Museum Complex and the festival of FPV drones, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with a camera that transmits video wirelessly to virtual reality glasses or a pilot's video camera, also took place within the framework of the "Airboat". The Aerobot training ground was used for competitions of miniature drones, the festival was organized by the Drone Racing Federation of the Rostov region.

The competitions have become successful for the North Caucasus Federal University. NCFU has brought as many as three teams to Taganrog this year, and this is the debut for Stavropol students in UAV competitions.

"We have a lot of guys at the university who are able to work with such technologies and are interested in solving important strategic tasks. We try to find an individual approach to each student, to reveal their potential, to guide the children in the direction where they will be able to realize themselves as much as possible.

In NCFU, to prepare for such UAV competitions, there is a scientific and educational robotics laboratory in which we try to unite our youth and teaching staff, conduct various studies related to unmanned control, the use of UAVs in applied tasks.

Taganrog has been famous since Soviet times for its achievements in engineering, radio electronics, and space projects, and "Aerobot" is a great place to meet with like–minded people and share experiences. Therefore, the decision to go to SFedU was made without hesitation. I would like to wish these competitions good luck and development, and the participants of "Aerobot"-2025 – always be in the trend of their technologies and not be afraid of the new," said Elena Novikova, Head of the interinstitutional Basic Department of the Department of Digital Robotic Systems and Electronics of the Institute of Advanced Engineering of NCFU.

At the end of the competition part, the business program started on the Airboat. It included two round tables: "Mechanisms for the development of a unified national system of scientific, practical and competitive events in the field of unmanned aviation systems" and "Intelligent technologies for single and group control of unmanned aviation systems: current state, development prospects".

One of the round tables was moderated by Polina Mozgaleva, Deputy Director of the Competence Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems of the University 2035. She spoke about the successful holding of the Archipelago competitions, which have been gathering a large number of different competition formats on one site for two years in a row, including autonomous drone flights.

"The round table went on for 3 hours, and all this time no one got tired of asking questions. This means that we are really dealing with a necessary and interesting topic.

When we say the word "competition", it can sound like something entertaining, and there is often a temptation to put entertainment on the back burner. Today, many success stories were told when the participants of the Aerobot competition subsequently found motivation for themselves in the trajectory of development in engineering activities, and became first-class specialists. It is important that the population understands what these engineers are doing now, why it is promising, and whether technological solutions that are valuable to the whole world can be born in our country. And for this, it is necessary to increase the entertainment of the competition.

"Aerobot" is one of the very important formats, a high level of complexity of tasks for autonomous drone flight. I would like to believe that by 2028 we will have group and swarm management competitions here. Our youth can do it – they have an inquisitive mind, a slightly different mindset, which allows them to quickly master new technologies and solve complex problems using non–obvious methods," said Polina Mozgaleva.

According to the results of the competition, the third place in the team competition was taken by Kodomagi (North Caucasus Federal University, Stavropol). NCFU students from the "Head in the sky" team also took the second place. The main prize went to the DronKam joint team representing TK Polyus LLC (Tomsk) and Dronkam LLC (Moscow).

Separate nominations were also prepared, in which representatives of Roboavia LLC and Laser Components LLC awarded cash prizes and valuable gifts.