Aerial Swarms Club unites generations through robotics, research

Every Friday, students gather at Building C on Mountaintop Campus to plan experiments and fly aerial robots. 

For members of Lehigh’s Aerial Swarms Club, this is a routine — working together to research and design. Each semester, the club builds a model blimp and showcases its work at the Defend the Republic competition, where teams pilot blimps to transport objects and complete research-based missions.

Founded in 2022 by Professor David Saldaña through his Autonomous and Intelligent Robotics Lab, the club draws students from multiple programs to collaborate on robot design and research.

Alice Peng, ‘28, a computer science and business major, joined the club as a first year and now serves as president. After discovering the club on the computer science and engineering department’s website, she later visited the club’s booth at the student activities fair, drawn by its poster.

At the booth, members explained what the club builds and how they and test aerial robots, including blimps and drones, for both research and competition. 

Peng said the Defend the Republic competition reminds her of Quidditch from the “Harry Potter” series, which is like “playing a real-life video game.”

Collaboration between graduate and undergraduate students is central to the club. Peng said she learned that many projects are inspired by Ph.D. student-led research in Lehigh’s Swarm Lab. 

Undergraduate members often test and adapt those ideas through design and flight experiments, gaining hands-on experience that connects academic research with real engineering practice. 

“Everyone can come to learn new skills or listen in on the Ph.D. students’ research,” Peng said. “Our goal isn’t for everyone to have a lot of experience. We just want people to be interested in our club.”

Jiawei Xu, ‘25G, a former club mentor, said the group benefits from its diverse student backgrounds. 

Xu said every member of the club contributes to one part of the project, so communication is key between members. 

Diego Fernando Salazar D’Antonio, ‘25G, another former mentor, compared the club to a small company where members from different disciplines work toward a shared goal.

“Everyone learns how to work together, connect with others and develop both soft and hard skills,” D’Antonio said. “The hard skills come from coding and soldering, while the soft skills come from communication and teamwork.” 

He said developing these skills helps students think differently and prepares them for their future careers. During his time as a mentor he advised about 20 students, many of whom later pursued Ph.D. programs or worked at robotics companies. 

Xu said students should take initiative in their education through both classes and the club.

“The things you can learn from projects or materials in class are always limited,” Xu said. “If you want to make a real contribution to your own growth or to the club’s growth, you have to be proactive and do research on your own.”

The club has faced challenges in past competitions. In the week leading up to the 2022 Defend the Republic competition at George Mason University, members discovered that the blimp’s mylar — the polyester film material used for its body — was broken and could no longer hold its structure.

In the following years, members shifted their approach and rethought their strategy. This past November, the club won the Defend the Republic competition, and members were invited to President Joseph Helble’s house for a celebratory dinner.

Xu said that moment captured the essence of the club — students from different generations learning, contributing to the blimp projects and helping each other grow technically and organizationally.

Peng said she loves supporting the club, learning from the difficulties and successes of the group and teaching new members about robotics and drones. 

“You’re building everything from scratch, and it’s a great community where everyone can get involved,” she said.