The Uncrewed Triple Challenge had three phases: sea, air, and land. Drones had to carry a 10-pound package throughout the duration of the race. The competition began with the maritime course, where drones traveled five nautical miles across Thunder Bay and back to the transfer zone to begin the air portion.

The air segment was about 58.5 miles out to Grayling. For the final portion of the competition, land drones had to navigate a 23.5-mile land segment, ending at Camp Grayling.

Any human interaction with drones transferring from one segment to the next or along the route incurred a time penalty for the teams, Scott Meyers, assistant adjutant general for innovation for the Michigan National Guard, said.

The competition aims to drive innovation and autonomous drone technology, Meyers said.

News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to competitors Mike Vogt, Mark Vogt, and Josh Byrne at the Uncrewed Triple Challenge held in Alpena on Tuesday.

“Although you can imagine there are military interests, this technology also looks to improve farming capabilities, medical response, search and rescue, package delivery, police and fire, disaster relief, and, of course, the list goes on,” he said.

Competitors from the North American Robotics team, Mark Vogt, Mike Vogt, and Josh Byrne, spoke about the parameters of the competition. The competition is about speed, they said, but it’s more so about seeing whether the course can even be completed.

“For this inaugural event, this is about actually seeing if you can even complete it,” Mike Vogt said. “When they plan events like this that are really challenging, it’s because 15 years from now, they want that capability, and off the shelf, it doesn’t exist. So even participating and getting there is helping you identify what that gap is.”

They’re measuring the segments and handoffs, Mark Vogt said. Each portion is assigned a value, and some segments will have higher values than others. Getting from point B to C, he said, isn’t as important as the handoff at C from an air vehicle to a land vehicle.

Not only are the competitors testing new technology, they are testing non-existent technology.

News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Gov. Gretchen Whitmer observes a competition monitor at the Uncrewed Triple Challenge held at Bay View Park on Tuesday.

The windy and cold temperatures on Tuesday certainly played into the event. Competitors were eager to put their drones to the test in those challenging conditions.

“They’ve worked in the cold,” Mike Vogt said. “They’ve worked in the wind. They haven’t worked really well in the wind and the cold.”

The conditions are better for innovation, Meyers said.

“It’s better to learn and adjust and then come back next year stronger because you learn through a harsher condition,” he said.

Meyers said he expects the competition to grow next year.

News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Competitors from the North American Robotics team, Josh Byrne, Mark Vogt, and Mike Vogt, came from Minnesota and Chicago. Behind them is an autonomous boat that they had on display at the Uncrewed Triple Challenge on Tuesday in Alpena.

“We already have more competitors wanting to do (it) next year; they just weren’t ready this year,” Meyers said.

He also said that they are planning to create a longer maritime course, and planning for next year’s competition will begin next week.

Whitmer made opening remarks at the competition and shot the cannon to mark the beginning of the sea segment.

“Michigan has a long history of collaboration and innovation, especially in defense,” she said. “During World War II, our grandparents put the nation’s war effort on their backs, churning out jeeps, tanks, bombers, faster than you can say arsenal of democracy.”

Last year, the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing initiative was launched, a partnership between the state of Michigan, the US Navy, and Macomb Community College to train Michiganders with the skills to build submarines and ships, Whitmer said.

“Because we believe in GSD: Get Ship Done,” she said.

The drone technology being tested has military and civilian applications, Whitmer said, as well as potential for a more efficient response to emergency situations, like the recent ice storm.

“(If you) think about just the hardship of assessing the amount of damage after the ice storm, the ability to do that in an uncrewed way, you can think of all the potential applications,” she said.

People who were homebound and unable to leave, who needed medicines, could have them delivered to their door through autonomous drone technology, Whitmer said.

Competitors came from seven states and three countries, Alpena Mayor Cindy Johnson said.

“We wish every team the best of luck, and may your drone be with you,” she said.

“Thank you to everyone who has worked for months to bring this vision to life,” Johnson said. “A special shout out to the incredible City of Alpena staff, including the fire and police, CRTC, NOAA, and MSP for their unwavering support.”