The Real World Design Challenge (RWDC)  is an aeronautical engineering competition that annually puts high school teams [class IX to class XII] to the task of engineering design at a professional level to develop systems that satisfy real-world needs. This year, the challenge involved the development of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for performing package deliveries in a city, which included all the complications and safety considerations for an urban environment. On 27 April 2020, 'Samaritan Aerospace', a seven member team from Delhi Public School, R K Puram, New Delhi became the first Indian team to win the Real World Design Challenge, defeating teams from countries like USA, China, and the UK among others to win the challenge.

Members of the team were Aditya Swaminathan, Advitya Singhal, Karan Handa, Siddhansh Narang, Ashvin Verma, Soheb and Om Gupta led by coach Ajay Goel, a physics teacher at DPS RK Puram. Talking about stages of competition, Siddhansh Narang informed that in the first stage region wise team is chosen from various countries, in the final stage, first the best team within the region is chosen and then the best teams from various regions compete for the challenge. Team Samaritan qualified the first round, emerging first in India. Then, they were to present the solution to the challenge at Washington D.C., before a panel of leading industry professionals but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the presentation was held online. In the second round, they were declared as the International Champions.

Talking to the team design, Ashvin Verma said that the team design included a system of intermeshing rotors which provided excellent thrust to weight ratio besides noise reduction. Also simulations were done and electronic components were chosen to bring the Unmanned Aerial System together. Advitya Singhal reveals on prize money and said that each member of the winning team is provided $50,000 scholarships from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for pursuing a course in the University which is one of the elite universities to study Aeronautical Engineering and aviation.

When asked about secret of success, Advitya Singhal shared that the secret lay in the teamwork, hard work, passion and efficient division of work as per the member interest and capabilities.

While sharing more about challenges, Aditya Swaminarayan told, earlier he was studying in DPS had to shift to Tajikistan during the design phase. Further, the annual exams were also to be managed especially for the members who were in class X and XII. Talking to us Siddhansh expressed thanks to Coach Ajay Goel, the parents of all the members of the team, seniors of Aerospace club for their unparalleled guidance support and wishes. Whereas talking on future roadmap, Ashvin Verma said the team wishes to participate in many more such challenges and make the Country and the Institution proud.

Link to RWDC official website: realworlddesignchallenge.org