Singapore, 11 April 2026 – The Awards Ceremony of the 17th Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC) was held today at Singapore EXPO, concluding a record-breaking edition that brought together around 2,500 participants across 768 teams, at the largest and longest-running flying machine competition to date.

Co-organised by DSO National Laboratories and Science Centre Singapore, SAFMC continues to be a launchpad for young innovators to turn classroom concepts into real-world engineering solutions through the design, building, and testing of flying machines.

From coding to flight: Youth innovations in action

From paper planes and gliders to advanced drone systems, SAFMC 2026 brought together a wide spectrum of flight-based challenges across education levels.

New categories, Smart Drones and High-Speed Drone Flock, further expanded the competition’s focus on real-world applications. The challenges saw students’ abilities to integrate computational logic, coding, navigation, AI techniques and coordination into increasingly complex flight systems.

Live demonstrations showcase the breadth of flight innovations

Guest of Honour, Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Zaqy Mohamad, was introduced to a series of live demonstrations, including a swarm of 25 drones performing a search-and-rescue mission, as well as Radio Control (RC) Fixed Wing showcasing control and manoeuvrability through flight demonstrations. He also flagged off an All-Stars Championship for First-Person-View (FPV) drone racing, where four top pilots from the SAFMC competed head-on across an obstacle course in front of an audience of more than 900 people.

Affirming the importance of SAFMC, Mr Zaqy said, “The capabilities on display at SAFMC today — coordinated swarm behaviour, autonomous navigation and precision landing, are important skills. Real life experiences are being captured through many of the scenarios that we have today. The line between student experiment and real-world application is quite thin.”

Where Innovation Takes Flight

Mr Cheong Chee Hoo, Chief Executive Officer of DSO, said, “SAFMC participants are not just building machines; they are sharpening their critical thinking. These young innovators are proof that when we empower our youth with STEM, they don’t just fly; they lead the way into the next frontier of technology.”

TNS8 from Tao Nan School clinched the championship title in the Paper Planes category, extending the school’s four-year winning streak. The team impressed judges with an innovative plane design and unconventional throwing method. Notably, they achieved the highest possible precision score by successfully flying their plane through all six hoops, a decisive factor in securing their win. They also stood out for their confident presentation and clear understanding of how their folding techniques influenced aerodynamics.

The High-Speed Drone Flock category, introduced this year as a refreshed challenge, saw a significant leap in both participation and technical sophistication, with teams developing autonomous systems for high-speed coordinated flight. The champion team, NUS Aero Intelligence, from the National University of Singapore distinguished themselves with a fleet of custom-built drones equipped with advanced sensing capabilities, including LiDAR and vision-based systems. Leveraging a simulation-driven approach, the team executed a pre-planned optimal trajectory with precision, demonstrating advanced coordination, control and the ability to adapt to real-world disturbances.

NTU-ICG2 from Nanyang Technological University secured the championship title under the Swarm category, standing out for their strong coordination and system design. The team organised their swarm into two groups to operate in the known and unknown search areas, allowing them to navigate different mission environments with precision. Equipped with dedicated routers and an onboard computer, the systems processed data in real-time. This enabled consistent performance across different scenarios, ultimately setting the team apart from the competition.

Ms Tham Mun See, Chief Executive of Science Centre Board, reflects, “SAFMC fosters an environment where ambitious ideas are welcomed, where failure serves as a learning opportunity, and where the journey of discovery matters as much as the destination.”

SAFMC continues to offer students a platform to explore their passion for STEM, with opportunities to pursue future careers and internships in engineering and technology with DSO National Laboratories.

e capabilities on display at SAFMC today — coordinated swarm behaviour, autonomous navigation and precision landing, are important skills. Real life experiences are being captured through many of the scenarios that we have today. The line between student experiment and real-world application is quite thin.”

About Singapore Amazing Flying Competition

The Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC) is Singapore’s largest flying machine competition, jointly organised by DSO National Laboratories and Science Centre Singapore, and supported by the Ministry of Defence. SAFMC is one of the first competitions in Singapore that challenges participants to push the boundaries of innovation with wearable, collaborative, and swarming technologies for their flying machines.

Since 2009, this nation-wide competition has attracted over 22,000 aviation enthusiasts. It will once again challenge young bright minds to come up with innovative creations like no other. SAFMC aims to inspire and nurture youths in Science and Technology. Open to all students and public, this annual competition serves as an expedient platform to those who want to get one step closer to their aviation dreams.

About Science Centre Singapore

Science Centre Singapore, a non-formal educational institution and leading regional Science Centre, along with its group of attractions, brings out the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through its unique blend of exhibitions, educational programmes and events. A custodian of creativity and innovation, Science Centre Singapore has captured the evolution of scientific developments for nearly four decades.

The Centre and its partners have played a pivotal role in transforming the way students and the public interact with and learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Since 1977, the Centre has welcomed over 30 million visitors and inspired them with more than 1,000 exhibits spread across 14 exhibition galleries and outdoor exhibition spaces.

The Centre’s group of attractions include Omni-Theatre, Snow City and KidsSTOP™. The Omni-Theatre, is Southeast Asia’s first 8K 3D digital theatre with a 23m wide seamless dome screen, is an immersive destination like no other. Snow City is Singapore’s only permanent indoor snow centre offering an Arctic inspired experience at Singapore’s first ice gallery and snow chamber. KidsSTOP™️ - Where every child gets to Imagine, Experience, Discover and Dream - is Singapore’s first children’s science centre offering an enriching experience through purposeful play for children aged 18 months to 8 years old.

For more information, please visit www.science.edu.sg.

About DSO National Laboratories

DSO National Laboratories (DSO) is Singapore’s largest defence research and development organisation. For the past 5 decades, DSO has been undertaking indigenous development of advanced defence and weapon systems that provide the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) with the superior technological edge in the battlefield. While its primary focus is to support the SAF, DSO also extends its defence R&D capabilities to support homeland security.

With more than 1,800 defence engineers and scientists, DSO develops cutting edge technologies and solutions to enhance Singapore’s defence and national security capabilities. For more information, please visit www.dso.org.sg.