Student Inventors Beat Military Contractors in Anti Drone Competition

Summary of reporting in the Wall Street Journal (10/19/24) by Alistair Macdonald:

Earlier this year, a team of four University of Toronto students—Parth Mahendru, Anna Poletaeva, Michael Acquaviva, and Asad Ishaq—developed a low-cost anti-drone device using ultrasound waves, outperforming major defense companies like Boeing in a military tech competition. Their device, built from car speakers and developed at home with $17,000 of their own funds, destabilizes drone navigation systems mid-flight, causing them to crash or veer off course.

The students named their startup Prandtl Dynamics after aerospace pioneer Ludwig Prandtl. Despite limited resources, they secured second place in the competition hosted by the Canadian military, winning over $270,000 in prize money and gaining industry attention.

Prandtl Dynamics now aims to transition from a student project to a full-fledged defense company by refining their technology, increasing its effective range, and seeking investment and government contracts. However, challenges remain, including scaling the range of their ultrasound system beyond 100 meters and adapting to evolving drone defenses. If successful, the company hopes to bring their product to market within two years.

Link to Prandtl Dynamics: https://prandtl.ca/