2^ND Northwest Florida Micro Air Vehicle Workshop
& Technology Demonstration

  held at  the

University of Florida REEF    

Shalimar , Florida

The University of Florida Research and Engineering Education Facility (UF-REEF) is pleased to announce a micro air vehicle workshop and technology demonstration on 27-29 May, 2008. The event will be held at the UF-REEF located in Shalimar, FL. The purpose of this informal workshop is to bring together developers and users of micro aerial vehicles to present work in progress, exchange ideas, and discuss challenges, thus promoting collaboration and teamwork.

Additionally, participants will have an opportunity to showcase their flight vehicles and related systems at the static display scheduled for Tuesday evening during the early registration and reception time. The teams will be able to demonstrate the vehicles/systems capabilities and/or design projects during the two indoor and outdoor flight demos. The flight demos are intended to demonstrate technology, including flight testing and data processing, rather than perform a flight mission.

Information on the technology demonstration and an application for participation in the demonstration can be found on this NWF-MAV website.

Workshop
Workshop sessions are intended to bring developers and users together to discuss relevant issues in developing micro aerial vehicle systems. Potential topics include:

• Aerodynamics (fixed, flapping and articulated wings )
• Guidance and control
• Vision-based on-board systems
• Aero-structural interaction
• Propulsion systems
• Hovering/VTOL MAVs
• System Architecture
• Ground Station
• Flight Testing Techniques
• Fabrication Technology and Practice
• Bio-inspired flight vehicle design and testing
• Artificial Intellignce in Onboard Decision Making

Technical Demonstration
There will be two technical demonstration opportunities available for participants at this event. These demos are designed to offer technical challenges for the systems thus allowing participants the chance to showcase the abilities of their systems as well as the innovations incorporated into their systems to overcome present technology shortfalls.

One demo is located in a controlled indoor environment and is designed to offer a set of closed quarter challenges to flapping wing and rotary wing vehicles. The second demo is outdoors and offers endurance and video challenges to fixed or large scale rotary wing vehicles.

Official Information
The official source for all information concerning the event can be found on these pages.

Registration
A nominal early registration fee of $40 per person is anticipated which will cover refreshments at the workshop and the Tuesday evening reception. Pre-registration is available via the official website.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, 27 May 2008

Wednesday, 28 May 2008

Thursday, 29 May 2008

In case of adverse weather on 28 May, the workshop will continue at the REEF that day with the flight demonstrations rescheduled to Friday.

**Please note that all meals are the responsibility of the participant. Light hors d’oeuvres will be available at the reception as well as refreshments during the workshop sessions and flight demonstrations.

Non US Citizen Participants:
Because the flight demonstration portion of the NWF-MAV event is being executed on a US Air Force installation a Foreign Visit Request is required. The necessary request can be processed through your embassy in Washington, DC. Because of the 60 day processing time on these requests it is highly recommended that you send in your request as soon as possible. For more information please contact Mr. Austerman.

POINTS OF CONTACT