U of T students take on aerospace giants, placing second in international drone defence competition

A team of University of Toronto (U of T) engineering students made waves at the international Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (Counter-UAS) Sandbox 2024 competition, placing second overall and earning $375,000 against veteran aerospace competitors including Boeing and Sentrycs. The student-founded company Prandtl Dynamics stood out with its acoustic anti-drone technology, which uses focused sound waves to disrupt internal electronics and navigation systems in drones without destructive force. The team — composed of aerospace, materials, machine-intelligence, and electrical engineering students — competed on home soil at the Canadian Department of National Defence’s Suffield base in Alberta, marking the first time a student-led team achieved such a result in the event.

Unlike traditional counter-drone tools that rely on jamming, kinetic interception, or directed energy like lasers, Prandtl’s approach is non-lethal and non-destructive, with potential civilian and defence applications including use in urban environments where safety is critical. The company plans to further refine the technology based on competition feedback — addressing waterproofing, wind resistance, and range — and pursue industry partnerships as it grows its presence in aerospace and defence.