Autonomous Delivery Vehicle Team (ADVT) is a student-led engineering design team focused on researching, designing, building, and testing autonomous aerial vehicles for on-campus food delivery.

ADVT is both a technical engineering project and a learning community, giving students hands-on experience in autonomy, systems engineering, safety, and project management.

  • Use drones as a delivery platform for food around campus
  • Start with a reliable, general-purpose drone
  • Evolve into a specialized delivery vehicle
  • Operate strictly within VT and FAA safety requirements

Students face challenges beyond academics. Long dining lines, weather, late-night work, and tight schedules make food access harder than it needs to be.

ADVT explores a safe, controlled drone delivery concept to reduce friction, improve accessibility, and demonstrate technical innovation.

ADVT operates with a clear, safety-focused chain of command designed for accountability and fast decision-making.

President
Vice President
Chief Engineer
Systems & Operations
Autonomy & GNC
Flight Software
Mechanical
Power & Propulsion
Ground & Data
Media & Outreach
Independent Roles

ADVT is organized into specialized teams covering the full lifecycle of an autonomous aerial vehicle.

Systems & Operations

System requirements, testing, and safety readiness.

Learn more →

Autonomy & GNC

Navigation, control, and decision-making.

Learn more →

Flight Software & Avionics

Embedded software, sensors, and communication.

Learn more →

Mechanical & Structures

Airframe, payload, and structural systems.

Learn more →

Power & Propulsion

Energy systems and propulsion efficiency.

Learn more →

Ground Systems & Data

Operator tools, telemetry, and analytics.

Learn more →

Media & Outreach

Branding, documentation, and recruitment.

Learn more →
  • Not a commercial delivery business
  • Not a replacement for dining services
  • Not a casual hobby club
  • A serious engineering design team
  • A hands-on technical learning environment
  • A research and testing platform
  • Fun — but disciplined
  • Engineering students seeking real-world experience
  • Media and outreach-focused students
  • Freshmen looking for long-term growth
  • Upperclassmen seeking leadership and impact

Make on-campus delivery safer, easier, and more efficient through autonomous aerial vehicles while training students in real engineering.

  • Service
  • Learning
  • Safety
  • Innovation
  • Improved food access
  • Hands-on engineering experience
  • Institutional collaboration opportunities
  • Safety-first design
  • Modular systems
  • Data-driven iteration
  • Scalable autonomy concepts