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back to article Canberra drone team dances a samba in Outback Challenge

CSIRO has, for the first time, dipped into its pocket and paid out to drone-makers who successfully completed its annual UAV challenge. For each of the past eight years, the science body has offered prizes up to $AU50,000 for anyone who can locate their “missing bushwalker” (dubbed “Outback Joe”) and drop water to the target. …

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  1. John Robson Silver badge

    Do they lose points

    for a direct hit?

    4 0 Reply

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Facepalm

    So there I was, lost in the outback

    And some rotter dropped a bottle of water on my head!

    1 0 Reply
  3. Jungleland

    As it is Australia, shouldn't they br dropping cans of XXXX/Foster's?

    1 0 Reply
    1. FunkyEric
      Reply Icon

      No-one drinks that over there, you're more likely to end up with VB.........

      equally bad however,

      0 0 Reply
    2. Trigonoceps occipitalis
      Reply Icon

      Water, XXXX, Foster's - doesn't matter, no one can tell the difference.

      2 0 Reply
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Should have been given a disk, not a grid, to search....

    Is it true that they modelled the water drop algorithms by studying the accuracy of FourEcksian dropbears?

    2 0 Reply
  5. PleebSmash

    The next step: swapping the bright yellow jacket for camo.

    0 0 Reply
    1. Martin Budden Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      I've heard that colour-blind spotters in helicopters can spot camo against background bush far more easily than normally-sighted spotters. Something to do with camo inks not matching natural bush colours properly. If true, this means the drone camera can be programmed to look for camo just as easily as a bright yellow jacket.

      1 0 Reply
  6. Martin Budden Silver badge

    Is Tridge tempted to launch a rocket-powered Playmonaut-enhanced plane from next year's UAV?

    Special-projects-bureau UAV Entry - SUAVE

    0 0 Reply

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