Robohub.org
Flying Donkey Challenge
Sadly, the Flying Donkey Challenge was put on hold indefinitely. See details here.
Will we see flying donkeys racing around Mount Kenya with 20 kilo payloads in 2020? The dream of lifting Africa will come one step closer when the 2014 preliminary “Flying Donkey Challenge” takes place in Kenya in November, but entries, including grant applications, close on February 28.
The Flying Donkey Challenge is a project of the La Fondation Bundi, a non-profit initiative of the Afrotech project at EPFL, the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, and the NCCR, the Swiss National Center of Competence for Research in Robotics.
The foundation seeks to pioneer a new transportation system for the world by developing robots with rugged air frames capable of safe and cheap unmanned flight of heavy cargo over long distances. We call these robots flying donkeys.
La Fondation Bundi is committed to promoting an African designed and assembled flying donkey industry capable of improving the transport infrastructure in areas without good roads. The goal of the foundation is to have tens of thousands of flying donkeys operational within a generation.
There are various technical, legal, logistical and design issues facing challengers and the foundation has broken the Flying Donkey Challenge into subchallenges. Teams may win large cash prizes for the best solutions across the range of subchallenges. Some of the subchallenges are:
- Precision take off and landing
- GPS denied navigation
- Sense and avoid
- Cargo delivery
- FD business plan competition
- FD legal paper competition tba
- FD logistics paper competition tba
Amazon better look to Africa because the first commercial drone deliveries look like coming from Flying Donkeys not UPS delivery drones.
tags: c-Events
Andra Keay
is the Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics, founder of Women in Robotics and is a mentor, investor and advisor to startups, accelerators and think tanks, with a strong interest in commercializing socially positive robotics and AI.
Andra Keay
is the Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics, founder of Women in Robotics and is a mentor, investor and advisor to startups, accelerators and think tanks, with a strong interest in commercializing socially positive robotics and AI.
Related posts :
Robot Talk Episode 139 – Advanced robot hearing, with Christine Evers
Robot Talk
09 Jan 2026
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Christine Evers from University of Southampton about helping robots understand the world around them through sound.
Meet the AI-powered robotic dog ready to help with emergency response
Texas A&M University
07 Jan 2026
Built by Texas A&M engineering students, this four-legged robot could be a powerful ally in search-and-rescue missions.
MIT engineers design an aerial microrobot that can fly as fast as a bumblebee
MIT News
31 Dec 2025
With insect-like speed and agility, the tiny robot could someday aid in search-and-rescue missions.
Robohub highlights 2025
Lucy Smith
29 Dec 2025
We take a look back at some of the interesting blog posts, interviews and podcasts that we've published over the course of the year.
The science of human touch – and why it’s so hard to replicate in robots
The Conversation
24 Dec 2025
Trying to give robots a sense of touch forces us to confront just how astonishingly sophisticated human touch really is.
Bio-hybrid robots turn food waste into functional machines
EPFL
22 Dec 2025
EPFL scientists have integrated discarded crustacean shells into robotic devices, leveraging the strength and flexibility of natural materials for robotic applications.
Robot Talk Episode 138 – Robots in the environment, with Stefano Mintchev
Robot Talk
19 Dec 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Stefano Mintchev from ETH Zürich about robots to explore and monitor the natural environment.
Artificial tendons give muscle-powered robots a boost
MIT News
18 Dec 2025
The new design from MIT engineers could pump up many biohybrid builds.
