Waterloo Defence
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Waterloo Defence

Autonomous defence systems

A University of Waterloo student design team. We design and build our own autonomous defence systems.

The issue

Cheap unmanned aircraft are now the leading cause of front-line casualties, accounting for up to 80% of losses (IISS, 2026).

Autonomous CUAS Turret

An autonomous turret that shoots drones down mid-flight. A camera tracks the drone; the computer aims where it will be when the shot arrives.

Build with us

We recruit every term, in every discipline.

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02Projects

// 01

Excalibur

  • camera picks the drone out against the sky
  • frame-to-frame tracking measures speed and heading
  • lead solved for muzzle velocity, drag and crosswind
  • geared pan and tilt hold the aim point
  • operator fires from a distance

A powered turret that finds a drone in the sky, tracks it, and puts a shot where it will be when the round arrives. Designed, built and simulated end to end by our team.

Read the full project
// 02

Monarch

  • rides above the rooftops on a balloon
  • passive: listens and watches, transmits nothing
  • made for drones in cluttered urban airspace
  • a fraction of the cost of radar

A balloon that holds its sensors above the rooftops and picks out threat drones over a city by listening and watching, without expensive radar.

Read the full project

03Sponsors

Colonel

Captain

  • Remote Robotic
  • AVSS

Want to support the team? Sponsor Waterloo Defence

04Join

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