{"667662":{"#nid":"667662","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Back-to-Back Drone Racing Titles Further RotorJackets Goal of Expansion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EApril was a month of national championships at Georgia Tech as Buzz was crowned the nation\u0027s best mascot, and the RotorJackets took home their second straight Collegiate Drone Racing championship. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETech\u0027s team, comprised of four racers, narrowly emerged from the field of 15 schools and 52 individual pilots to take home the title following two days of competition at the Fayette Fliers Field in Tyrone, Georgia. While scores from the qualifying round and the previous races in the knockout round are compiled into a sum, it was RotorJackets\u0027 vice president Tanner Beard who put his team in the lead in the final race of the competition. Beard also finished in second place in the individual competition, but it\u0027s the team\u2019s accomplishment that he\u0027s proudest of. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBeard and outgoing team president Luke Lawver started flying first-person view (FPV) drones together in 2018 before officially founding RotorJackets in the fall of 2020. As Beard, a mechanical engineering student, and Lawver, an aerospace graduate student, get set to leave Tech, the pair couldn\u0027t have imagined the success the group has achieved in a short time. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0022I\u0027m just very proud of how far it\u0027s come. We started out practicing on fields with PVC pipes, and our gates and materials were falling apart. We didn\u0027t really have anything, but we were able to build everything up, and we\u0027ve practiced every single weekend for events like this,\u0022 Beard said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team learned the layout of the championship track just two weeks before the event, but practicing from first light to sundown was nothing new for the RotorJackets. The hard work and preparation continued up until the last minute as the team was forced to replace a drone the night before the competition. But the two senior members of the team were impressed by first-year computer engineering student Ian Boraks \u2013\u2013 the incoming president \u2013\u2013 and Dylan Wyckoff, in his first-ever drone race. Wyckoff is a third-year computer science major and will take over as the club\u2019s treasurer. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBoth relished the opportunity to fly alongside their experienced teammates and are now focused on continuing their legacy in pursuit of a three-peat. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOther than winning titles, the club also wants to expand the drone-flying community on campus. When the fall semester begins, monthly events will be held on Tech Green, where all students can learn how to fly. No experience is necessary, and all equipment will be provided. Not all club members are racers, and the benefits of learning the skill go well beyond the group. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0022The cool thing about FPV as a hobby is that, especially as an engineering major or someone in any STEM field, it teaches you a ton of practical skills that are incredibly useful in your day-to-day job,\u0022 Lawver said. \u0022We build all of our drones basically from scratch, so you can learn about electrical hardware design, mechanical hardware design, and software engineering and dive into whatever areas you want. Or, you can just treat it as a black box, and you\u0027ll have fun with it.\u0022\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUsing the skills they\u0027ve acquired, the RotorJackets have expanded their footprint at Tech, using drones to enhance coverage of events like the iconic \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=E0ia52wJz0E\u0022\u003EMini-500\u003C\/a\u003E as well the Pi Mile, and they\u0027ve assisted Athletics in creating digital content.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhile not necessary to join the club and learn the ropes, obtaining your Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA is recommended if you\u0027re interested in the more advanced stages of drone piloting, and the plan is to offer this certification through the club in the coming semesters. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor information on how to join the RotorJackets and the latest updates on upcoming events, join their \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/discord.gg\/9eQYtbJChu\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDiscord\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERotorJackets, Georgia Tech\u2019s drone racing team, captured their second straight national title, but their mission extends beyond winning championships. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"RotorJackets, Georgia Tech\u2019s drone racing team, captured their second straight national title, but their mission extends beyond winning championships. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-05-05 20:37:40","changed_gmt":"2023-05-05 21:07:41","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670771":{"id":"670771","type":"image","title":"RotorJackets celebrate their victory at the Collegiate Drone Racing Association National Championship. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto courtesy of RotorJackets\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1683319924","gmt_created":"2023-05-05 20:52:04","changed":"1683320852","gmt_changed":"2023-05-05 21:07:32","alt":"RotorJackets celebrate their victory at the Collegiate Drone Racing Association National Championship. ","file":{"fid":"253696","name":"GT.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/05\/GT.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/05\/GT.png","mime":"image\/png","size":125300,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/05\/GT.png?itok=7nMnr5R2"}},"670772":{"id":"670772","type":"video","title":"The race that clinched the RotorJackets\u0027 win at the 2023\u00a0Drone Racing Association Championship.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe race that clinched the RotorJackets\u0027 win at the 2023 Drone Racing Association Championship.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1683320657","gmt_created":"2023-05-05 21:04:17","changed":"1683320657","gmt_changed":"2023-05-05 21:04:17","video":{"youtube_id":"1XA5vOiItl4","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1XA5vOiItl4"}}},"media_ids":["670771","670772"],"groups":[{"id":"1182","name":"General"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Gagliano - Communications Officer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}