Aerial Drone Competition Pro
by Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Advanced STEM Engineering Skills
Advanced high school drone competition by REC Foundation. Teams coordinate multiple autonomous vehicles: a drone and a land vehicle. Requires 3D printing, mechanical design, and advanced programming.
Mode
In-Person
Fee
$200
Participation format
Team
Teams of 3 to 6
Duration
Dual-season model: Fall season (October-December) and Spring season (January-May)
Eligibility
Primarily grades 9-12 (high school). Younger students may participate by playing up. Teams of 3-6 members.
- Age range
- 13 to 18 years
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Prerequisites
- Teams must source CoDrone EDU drone, MINDS-i Competition Drone, and land vehicle hardware (total equipment cost approximately USD 4,300-4,700)
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Recognition
International STEM Competition
Skills your child builds
Key dates
- Registration opened
- 1 Feb 2026
- Competition
- 1 Oct 2026 to 30 Apr 2027
How to apply
- 1Form a team of 3-6 high school students and source all required hardware (CoDrone EDU, MINDS-i Competition Drone, and land vehicle)
- 2Contact drones@recf.org if based outside US and Canada to confirm regional pathway
- 3Register for qualifying events in the Fall or Spring season window
Rules and guidelines
- Required hardware: CoDrone EDU drone, MINDS-i Competition Drone, and a land vehicle
- Teams may compete in Fall season, Spring season, or both within a single season registration
- Autonomous missions require fully programmed vehicles with no manual input during the mission
- All vehicle designs and programming documentation must be tournament-ready before competition day
Fees and financial support
Fee details
USD 200 per team per season registration fee, plus USD 50-100 per qualifying event.
About this opportunity
The Aerial Drone Competition Pro (ADC Pro) is an advanced-level annual drone competition organized by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), designed for high school students in grades 9-12 who seek a more technically challenging competition experience than the standard ADC. While the regular ADC focuses on a single CoDrone EDU drone, ADC Pro requires teams to coordinate multiple vehicles simultaneously: a CoDrone EDU drone, a MINDS-i Competition Drone, and a land vehicle. All vehicles operate autonomously or in coordinated piloted sequences, demanding skills in mechanical design, 3D printing, and advanced computer programming.
Teams of 3-6 students compete in two-alliance matches on a divided competition field. The format includes Teamwork Matches (multi-vehicle coordination), Autonomous Skills Matches (purely autonomous navigation), and Piloting Skills Matches. ADC Pro uses a Fall plus Spring dual-season model, allowing teams to compete across two competition windows (Fall: October-December; Spring: January-May) within the same academic year.
ADC Pro is primarily targeted at grades (high school), with younger students able to participate by playing up. The program emphasizes engineering design, cross-vehicle coordination, autonomous programming, and technical documentation as workforce readiness skills. International teams outside the US and Canada must contact drones@recf.org for their regional participation pathway.
Rounds and format
Teamwork Matches: two alliances of two teams coordinate drones and land vehicles on a divided field. Autonomous Skills Matches: vehicles operate fully autonomously. Piloting Skills Matches: student pilots navigate vehicles manually. Fall season: October-December. Spring season: January-May.
How entries are judged
Engineering design, cross-vehicle coordination, autonomous programming, technical documentation, teamwork, communication skills, and problem-solving approach, evaluated through interviews and competition logbooks.
Selection process
Teams qualify for higher levels of competition based on performance in teamwork and skills matches, as well as judged awards for technical and communication excellence.
How to prepare
- Official Competition Manual
- Game Reveal Video
- Official Q&A System
- CoDrone EDU Training and Pilot Certification
- FAA Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)
Frequently asked questions
How is ADC Pro different from the regular Aerial Drone Competition?
ADC Pro targets grades 9-12 and coordinates multiple vehicles: a CoDrone EDU drone, MINDS-i Competition Drone, and a land vehicle, all operating autonomously. Requires 3D printing and advanced programming. Regular ADC uses a single drone and is open from grade 5.
Can Indian high school teams join ADC Pro?
In principle yes, as RECF operates in 70 countries. However, no confirmed India events exist as of June 2026. Indian teams must contact drones@recf.org before purchasing the multi-vehicle hardware to confirm whether an India regional pathway exists for the 2026-27 season.
How does the dual Fall plus Spring season model work?
Teams can compete in the Fall Season (October-December 2026), the Spring Season (January-April 2027), or both. A single USD 200 season registration covers both seasons. Teams use their best season results when advancing to Regional Championships.
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