Last year’s Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) XPONENTIAL trade show included the inaugural XCELLENCE Humanitarian Awards. Prizes were awarded to five organizations that had used unmanned technology in innovative ways for humanitarian or philanthropic efforts around the world.

The 2018 winners spanned disaster management, medical assistance and search-and-rescue operations. They were:

• Aeryon Labs Inc., Aeryon SkyRanger UAS Provides Critical Aerial Intelligence to First Responders in Saint Maarten in the Wake of Hurricane Irma (Canada)
• DroneSAR, DroneSAR UAV Search & Rescue (SAR) Solution – Executing Autonomous Aerial Search and Delivering Live Drone Data to Augment First Response Efforts (Ireland)
• Nepal Flying Lab, Drone Hazard & Vulnerability Mapping in Nepal (Nepal)
• ONG DroneSAR Chile, Emergency Response Team and Humanitarian Aid Through the Use of Drones (Chile)
• Zipline International, Zipline’s Medical Drone Delivery Operation in Rwanda (Rwanda)

Last year saw the final five finalists split a $25,000 reward from sponsor DJI.

Read more: Drones for Good: An Insider Look at North Carolina’s Intense Response to Hurricane Florence

The 2019 AUVSI XCELLENCE Humanitarian Awards

This year it’s set to happen all over again. And to be fair we could do with some positive news, following the battering drone technology has taken in the wake of the Battle of Gatwick. It’s important that we celebrate when we can and draw public attention to all the good that drones can do.

AUVSI is now inviting nominations for the second annual Humanitarian Awards. Once again DJI is sponsoring the prize for the winners.

“The first-ever Humanitarian Awards in 2018 gave us an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of truly exceptional leaders with a passion for service and the vision to solve the world’s problems in new and innovative ways,” said Brian Wynne, President and CEO of AUVSI.

“The world needs to know about these individuals, and with the help of our partner, DJI, we can share their stories to inspire a new generation of incredible humanitarian projects.”

The Humanitarian Awards is just one category of 14 in the AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards. The winners will be announced on May 2 at AUVSI XPONENTIAL, which is taking place from April 29 to May 2 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Read more: Unmanned for Good: Xponential 2018 Ends on a High Note

Looking Forward to 2019’s Lineup

There have been plenty of exciting applications in the past year, ranging from conservation to medical deliveries and search and rescue.

“Our company was founded to empower everyone with the gift of flight,” said Mario Rebello, Vice President and Country Manager, North America, at DJI.

“We are lucky to have seen our technologies embraced by users of every kind, from places all over the world. Our cooperation with AUVSI to introduce these Humanitarian Awards in 2018 let us put the focus on the people that make unmanned technology not just innovative, but also life-changing. We look forward to the incredible cases that this year’s awards will reveal.”

Think you know of a project or organization that fits the criteria? The submission period for the AUVSI XCELLENCE Humanitarian Awards is now open. Here’s everything you need to get started:

· Registration Site: Official AUVSI XCELLENCE Award 2019 website
· Application Deadline: February 6, 2019
· Application Fee: Free for the Humanitarian Award
· Announcement of Humanitarian Winners: May 2, 2019 (Day 3 of AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2019)

The 2019 AUVSI Xponential conference is expected to feature more than 700 exhibitors and 150+ sessions covering unmanned systems policy, technology, business solutions, and trending topics.