Aerofloat Shaastra 2027

About the Event AeroFloat is an indoor lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicle competition held under the Aero Fest vertical of Shaastra 2027 at IIT Madras . Teams will design, build, and fly a remotely controlled blimp . Because blimps operate in a slow, buoyancy-dominated regime that is highly sensitive to control input, the competition tests both piloting precision and real-time combat strategy . Team & Venue Details

Team Size: Up to 3 members per team .

Participation Model: Open registration with an online technical check .

Venue: Indoor venue at SAC Main Hall, IITM .

Event Duration: 1 day . Competition Stages 1. Online Qualification Check Every registered team must submit a single continuous, unedited video demonstrating basic flight competency . The video must show an unassisted take-off, controlled climb and descent, controlled yaw, and an unassisted altitude hold with the vertical-thrust motor switched off . This round is evaluated on a pass/fail basis to grant an on-site Day 1 slot . 2.

Round 1: Precision Navigation All blimps must pass a Day 1 technical check to ensure they meet limits, it must fit in a box of dimensions 1m * 0.5 m * 0.5m, helium gas only, a custom-built gondola, and a maximum total weight of 800 g . Teams pilot their blimp through a 3D course of up to 10 suspended hoops within a 3-minute time limit . The top 6 teams from the leaderboard advance to the Grand Finale . 3.

Round 2: Aerial Combat (Grand Finale) The top 6 teams compete in a bracket-based, single-duel tournament inside a netted arena . The objective is to use a 5 cm standard pin to puncture the opponent's Mylar/BoPET envelope while protecting their own . A duel is won when the opponent's envelope is visibly punctured and loses lift . Key Rules & Requirements

Build Rules: Envelopes must be commercially purchased, while the gondola and electronics must be built from scratch by the team .

Propulsion & Control: The blimp must use electric motors with propellers and be controlled via a 2.4 GHz RC; autonomous flight is not permitted .

Safety: Helium is the only permitted lifting gas; the use of hydrogen will result in strict and immediate disqualification .

Combat Conduct: Ramming with the gondola or contacting an opponent's electronics during combat is prohibited and leads to immediate disqualification .