A collaborative team of professors and students, led by Professor Hudson Hsu of the Smart Mechatronics Bachelor Degree Program at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), successfully developed a low-cost, high-performance Search and Rescue UAV with a ducted-fan propulsion and reconnaissance system for water rescue missions.
The team recently participated in the 2025 AII American DAVINCI International Invention Exhibition (hosted by Southern Utah University) and won a Gold Medal for their work. The UAV was selected from nearly 200 entries from 14 countries, including the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, Thailand, Morocco, Australia, Peru, and Ecuador.
The gold-medal-winning aquatic rescue UAV was the result of the joint efforts of Professor Hudson Hsu of NPUST—known as “Air Force Edison”, Professor Chia-Hao Ku from Ming Chi University of Technology, Associate Professor Jia-Wei Hsu from Chinese Culture University, and Yu-Hsin Yeh, a student in NPUST’s Smart Mechatronics Bachelor Degree Program.
Their innovative UAV effectively addresses the limitations of traditional drones, such as insufficient endurance and restricted operations in adverse weather conditions. The UAV features an innovatively designed ducted-fan propulsion system, which increases thrust by approximately 30% compared to conventional systems. The design significantly extends flight time and substantially enhances the UAV’s resistance to strong winds and unstable air currents.
The team also incorporated an intelligent sensing system using AI algorithms. By applying the PID particle-tracking technique the system is able to process low-light and low-resolution imagery, thus enabling the UAV to accurately identify distressed individuals or floating objects on the water’s surface and automatically generate precise navigation paths and tracking coordinates for rapid positioning by rescue units.
By integrating an enhanced power system with intelligent vision capabilities, the UAV excels in complex and dangerous aquatic environments, performing superior reconnaissance, positioning, and auxiliary rescue functions. This will greatly improve the efficiency and success rate of water rescue operations.
Committed to the cultivation of smart mechatronics professionals, the NPUST Smart Mechatronics Bachelor Degree Program integrates interdisciplinary expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering, information technology, business management and other areas to ensure its students are capable of applying such cutting-edge technologies AI, IoT (Internet of Things), big data, robotics and more.
