DJI SDK Finals to be Held in Rome, N.Y.

LOS ANGELES—Drone operators are getting ready to test their skills for the annual DJI SDK Challenge, which is set to take place Sunday, Aug. 28, in Rome, N.Y. Hosted by DJI, Ford Motor Company and the United Nations Development Program, the event will feature 10 teams that will compete to see whose software can best launch drones from a bed of a moving vehicle, guide them through a simulated disaster site to identify victims and return to land back on the vehicle. Grand prize will be $100,000.

The finalists, who built their gear with DJI’s Software Development Kit, hail from universities and research groups from around the world. The competition field will be held at Griffiss International Airport in Rome at the FAA-designated drone test site.

The DJI SDK challenge will take place from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Awards ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Guests will also have the chance to fly DJI drones in addition to observing the competition, per DJI.