CNY Drones is pleased to open registration for the third annual Team Drone Challenge, FARM-i-GEDDON on Saturday, September 28, 2018 via its Info Hub website, www.cnydrones.org. 

Interest in this low-cost, indoor, STEM-based program has tripled in three years, leading organizers to add a second collegiate division to the existing middle and high school competition. Twelve teams will be accepted into each division for the 2020 Northeast Competition Day set for April 5, 2020 at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly) Wildcat Field House. Programs will run side-by-side inside 30-by-60-foot netted fields. The 2020 competition is supported by the generosity of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the event’s host site, along with CNY Drones' annual funding from the Air Force Research Lab and event sponsorship from NUAIR, A&P Master Images, and AIS.  

Interested teams can receive Part I of a new 50-page FARM-i-GEDDON Challenge Manual by contacting CNY Drones. Part II of the Manual, along with access to team resource files, will be available to teams registering via school purchase order, check or PayPal. Registration is $100 and will be accepted beginning September 28, 2019.  A LIVE online Coaches’ Meeting is planned for 7 p.m. on September 28 to answer initial questions and guide coaches through season improvements. Team Registration is not needed to participate in the meeting. A link will be provided to interested participants upon request.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute engineering student clubs, led by SUNY’s Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Club, work closely with CNY Drones to host drone-focused STEM events, including the competition in April. College students staying in the area over the summer assist CNY Drones programs with program design, promotion and field element mechanics. SUNY Poly’s engineering clubs have been instrumental in giving young students opportunities to participate in reasonably priced STEM activities that tie into New York’s growing drone industry. SUNY Poly’s AMA Club will host monthly Tech Meets to further connect college-age engineering students with their younger counterparts. A schedule will be announced on the CNY Drones website and Events Calendar.   

CNY Drones provides public access to drone technology through an information hub and year-round events. CNY Drones is a volunteer-run, community-based, nonprofit under the fiscal agency of the Griffiss Institute. For more information on registration and the upcoming online Coaches’ Meeting, visit www.CNYDrones.org or email: CNYDrones@gmail.com.