Celebrating Innovation: DJI Developer Challenge Concludes with Inspiring Projects

Key Takeaways from the Event

• Winner: UT-Dronefly from the University of Texas at Dallas and Penn State University.
• Runner-Up: The Star of BUAA from BeiHang University.
• Third Place: Cryosphere Ecology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• Broad participation: This year’s challenge saw five times the number of applications compared to last year.
• Exciting job opportunities: Several participants received employment offers from DJI.

DJI proudly announced the successful conclusion of its second annual Developer Challenge on August 30^th. This competition showcased innovative projects from students around the globe, culminating in an impressive display of creativity and technical prowess. Among the standout participants, UT-Dronefly, a collaborative team from the University of Texas at Dallas and Penn State University, took top honors, while The Star of BUAA from BeiHang University was recognized as the runner-up. The third-place award went to Cryosphere Ecology, associated with the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The challenge’s theme, “Change Lives, Change the World,” aimed to inspire participants to utilize drone technology for impactful solutions. The event was split into two categories, one focusing on Chinese teams and the other on North American teams. From a large pool of applicants, ten Chinese teams and three American teams were selected to present their projects in the final round hosted at DJI headquarters in Shenzhen.

Honoring the Winners

1^st Prize: UT-Dronefly — App for Power Line Inspection

The UT-Dronefly team showcased a groundbreaking app designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of power line inspections. Utilizing a Phantom 3 drone, the app employs advanced image processing algorithms to conduct real-time video analysis. Users receive crucial information—such as direction, position, and clearance distance—enabling them to carry out thorough inspections. This app presents an economical and user-friendly alternative to traditional inspection methods.

2^nd Prize: The Star of BUAA — App for Aerial Cruise Control

The Star of BUAA introduced an app that enables drones to autonomously navigate along roadways using real-time image data to determine the road’s position and direction. This technological advance offers a precise and effective tool for traffic monitoring and control.

3^rd Prize: Cryosphere Ecology — Aerial Imaging System for the Tibetan Plateau

Cryosphere Ecology’s project, led by environmental researchers, focused on addressing a significant challenge in the Tibetan Plateau: the impact of plateau pikas on local agriculture. Their innovative mobile aerial imaging system gathers crucial data to inform strategies for mitigating the pikas’ adverse effects on farmland, helping improve the livelihood of local farmers.

Recognizing Innovative Contributions

Innovation Prizes

In addition to the main prizes, Firmament from the University of Michigan – Dearborn, and DroneITS from Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Université Paris-Sud, and Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, were honored with Innovation Prizes for their exceptional contributions.

Firmament — Ground Station App “Fire Scouter”

Team Firmament developed “Fire Scouter,” an intuitive ground station app that assists fire departments by optimizing flight routes and delivering real-time imaging. This tool enhances situational analysis, improving decision-making during rescue operations.

DroneITS — Drone-based Intelligent Transportation System

The DroneITS team leveraged the Phantom 3 camera’s wide field of view to create an intelligent transportation system. This innovation allows drivers to access real-time road conditions directly on their mobile devices, complemented by capabilities like vehicle tracking and license plate recognition through CCTV footage integration.

This year’s edition of the DJI Developer Challenge highlighted a remarkable increase in engagement, with five times more applications received compared to the previous year. The enthusiasm surrounding the competition is a testament to its role as a catalyst for aspiring innovators entering the UAV industry, encouraging them to develop solutions that can transform lives. DJI firmly believes that we are merely at the dawn of a UAV revolution, where even the smallest ideas have the potential to significantly impact the world.