A team of graduate students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute placed third in the 36th Annual Student Design Competition, an event that challenges students from across the world to design a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The competition is hosted by the Vertical Flight Society.

The Rensselaer team was led by Michael McKay, a doctoral student in the Center for Mobility with Vertical Life (MOVE).

This year teams had to design an extreme altitude mountain rescue vehicle that would perform emergency medical services at high altitudes. The students were given a detailed description of what type of conditions the vehicle would have to operate under. 

The challenge was aimed at answering the following questions: What would a rotorcraft look like when specifically designed to perform emergency medical services up to the highest peaks of the planet? What technologies could enable such a vehicle? Could it be used for other purposes as well?