Solving that problem is the goal of the DARPA Lift Challenge, a national research effort backed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. And the University of Hartford’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture recently received a $20,000 grant to participate.
Eight graduate and undergraduate students are involved in the effort led by Dongbin Kim, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. Together they’re working to develop drone systems with greater lift.
Most drones in use today can only lift objects that weigh less than the drone itself. DARPA is offering $6.5 million in prize money, hoping to mobilize researchers to create drones that can lift up to four times their own weight.
The UHart team will tackle every stage of drone building, including system design, analysis, and development, along with flight testing, structural integration, and mission planning. For the students, it’s an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in advanced aerospace engineering.
The $20,000 in grant money comes from the Frank N. Piasecki Foundation, which is participating with UHart under the name Team FNP Foundation. Their aircraft, the FNP Rising Star, features a hawk in its logo as a show of UHart pride. It also uses the English translation of Dongbin’s Korean name.
Frank Piasecki is one of the most influential figures in helicopter and vertical flight engineering. During World War II, he developed the PV-2 helicopter, the second successful helicopter to fly in the United States. His company, Piasecki Aircraft Corporation, later pioneered the technology that laid the foundation for modern heavy-lift platforms such as the CH-47 Chinook. Piasecki’s sons, company executives Fred and John, made the grant possible.
Through this partnership, Team FNP Foundation bridges generations of aviation leadership, from Frank Piasecki’s groundbreaking achievements to the forward-looking innovation of today’s students—demonstrating that the future of vertical flight is built upon both historic vision and emerging talent.