Drone Days

The EPFL Drone Days are a yearly event dedicated to aerial robotics, featuring races, demonstrations and talks from top experts.

NCCR Robotics had been instrumental in bringing various stakeholders for the first edition in 2017, and organized and sponsored that edition. Switzerland’s top drone pilots competed against each other as part of the official Swiss FPV Racing Championship, a qualifier for the ERSA Euro Cup 2017. The NCCR Robotics showcase was an occasion to discover the latest scientific developments in drone technology and their practical applications. The FAI International Drones Conference and Expo also took place during the event, focusing on innovation, security and sport.

The event then became an EPFL franchise. The second edition took place over three days at EPFL from Friday, 31 August to Sunday, 2 September 2018, and consisted of three main events: the Swiss National Drone Race, a conference on drones of the International Aviation Federation (FAI), and a robotics showcase featuring prominently NCCR Robotics research, spin-offs, and affiliated companies. Many of NCCR Robotics labs participated again in preparing stands for the robotics showcase.

The 3rd edition took place from 13 to 15 September 2019, as part of the EPFL Portes Ouvertes and EPFL 50th birthday celebrations. It again included drone races (also by night), a public conference, a “drone racing initiation” workshop, and a demonstration of autonomous drone ice-cream delivery by NCCR Robotics spin-off Dronistics.

The event was paused in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic.