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A new race for autonomous aircraft has been launched in the UK (writes Nick Flaherty). The University of the West of England (UWE) and High Tech Bristol and Bath have launched the MAAXX indoor autonomous UAV air race to be held in January 2017 alongside a technical conference. The piloting can be done from a ground station, but it must be fully automatic. “This is not about human piloting skills; it is about building machines and systems that can operate without human intervention,” said Steve Wright, senior lecturer in avionics and aircraft systems at the UWE. The course is a long oval; the straights are 25 m long and 2 m apart, and the track is 2 m wide. There are put-in and exit lanes to allow the drones to enter and exit the race at any time. There are banners and nets set above 1.5 m along the course, to keep things safe, low and close. The course marking is red line, green line and wall-mounted triangles at ends. There will be a speed prize for the fastest ten consecutive laps of the course. If no-one makes ten consecutive laps, the prize goes to the fastest five consecutive laps, and there is an endurance prize for the greatest total number of laps achieved during the entire competition. The maximum vehicle take-off weight is 1 kg, maximum size 1 m in any dimension, and power must come from batteries, as the racing is indoors. No human intervention is permitted once a competitor is on the course. Control from any ground station equipment via wireless link is permitted, and any wireless communications method is permitted as well. However, all competitors are expected to cooperate with the judges to ensure EM compatibility between themselves. Unlimited racing is permitted at any time during the competition; competitors may fly whenever a flying slot becomes available, a slot being defined as not less than 2 m from the nearest competitor on entering the course. There is no limit on vehicle configuration – fixed-wing, rotary or hybrids are all permitted. The course and rules are still provisional, and the organisers welcome input on changes and additions that will make the racing better, including the control of swarms of small UAVs. Autonomy to the MAAXX UAV racing