Michigan on Tuesday kicked off what stakeholders bill as a first-of-its-kind, state-sponsored competition where participants use autonomous drones to deliver 10-pound packages.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Department of Transportation (MDOT), Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and National Guard are partnering to host the Uncrewed Triple Challenge, which pits teams from seven states and three countries against one another to deliver across sea, land, and air—all with humans out of the loop. The inaugural event began Tuesday morning, and the overall winner will be revealed by the end of the day.
The competition features teams from the private sector, academia, military, and government. According to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who framed the event as a showcase of the state’s embrace of new technologies, the FAA and Department of Defense (DOD) are also involved.
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“The technology being tested today has both military and civilian applications, including delivering medicine to isolated communities for transporting critical equipment more efficiently to cut down on production delays,” Whitmer said in remarks at the event’s opening ceremony. “To put it simply, this technology saves time, money, and lives.”
Uncrewed Triple Challenge competitors began in the waters of Thunder Bay near the city of Alpena, home to the Michigan Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Center. Teams sailed uncrewed watercraft to a boat in the middle of the harbor and back to shore, where they transferred their package to a drone. Payload swaps were graded by time and docked points if people needed to step in.
The aerial portion of the challenge is the most extensive, traversing about 58.5 nm from Alpena to a soccer field at the National Guard’s Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center. Drones are required to fly at varying altitudes, steering and swooping around obstacles in urban and rural airspace. A pair of emergency landing zones along the course provide locations to recharge, refuel, swap batteries, or make a precautionary landing. Upon touching down, the drones are tasked with another autonomous handoff to a ground vehicle.
The final land segment covers about 23.5 sm and ends at Camp Grayling’s Parade Field, one of three locations where the public could watch the race for free. The team with the fastest time across all three domains will take the crown, but there will also be awards for Best in Air and Best at Payload Transfer.
The unique competition did not come out of nowhere. Whitmer on Tuesday pointed to her May 2024 directive outlining critical infrastructure upgrades and appointing a chief innovation ecosystem officer as evidence of the state’s forward-thinking approach to technology, particularly for the skies. According to MEDC, Michigan’s nearly 63,000 advanced manufacturing employees—the sixth-largest such workforce in the country—work at more than 4,000 companies focused on aerospace and defense, including GE Aerospace and BAE Systems.
“Michigan has a long history of collaboration and innovation, especially in defense,” Whitmer said. “Today, we are still home to leading companies that make everything from air and spacecraft to ground vehicles and advanced weapon systems.”
Michigan is particularly bullish on drones and advanced air mobility (AAM), which encompasses everything from electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis to remotely piloted cargo aircraft.
In 2023, for example, MDOT and Michigan Central—a Detroit-based technology center—began work on the Advanced Aerial Innovation Region (AAIR), a 3-mile-radius hub for testing of new drone systems. The state is also developing a $7 million “drone park” at Battle Creek Executive Airport (KBTL).
In July, Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist announced a further $6.25 million to fund four AAM projects, including research and upgrades at the AAIR. Partner Skyports, which develops electrified takeoff and landing hubs called vertiports, will trial proof-of-concept, ship-to-shore drone delivery. Another partner, Beta Technologies, will install its aircraft-agnostic electric chargers at airports statewide, building on its nationwide network. Other partners including DroneUp are participating in drone trials for medical delivery, emergency response, water sampling, and more near Lake Michigan.
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