It's official: LOHAN's arboreal avoidance algorithm is PANTS

It's official: Our Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) arboreal avoidance algorithm will henceforth be known as PANTS (Pixhawk Avoidance of Nearby Tree System).

A round of applause and some mission stickers for Sir Sham Cad, who topped our poll to determine a suitable acronym for the sensational APM parameter MAG_TREE_AVOID, allowing UAVs to combat the inexorable attraction of magnetic trees.

Phil O'Sophical's AYCARAMBA (Automated Yet Comprehensive Arboreal Recognition And Magnetic Branch Avoidance) took second spot, while LARCH (Lohan Arborial Repulsion Coded Heuristic) came in third, just one vote ahead of NumptyScrub's NO:PANTS (Navigationally Obligatory: Pixhawk Avoidance of Nearby Tree System).

While the poll was still live, NumptyScrub suggested that since his entry was simply an extension of PANTS, Sir Sham Cad should take the honours should readers decide they preferred LOHAN with NO:PANTS.

This honourable suggestion has earned NumptyScrub some stickers of his own, and in fact everyone whose entry made the final cut can have some stickers too. Can you all please email me your postal address right here? Ta.

Yes indeed, that's the kind of mood we're in this fine Friday, as our Kickstarter campaign to get LOHAN out to Spaceport America tops an impressive £26k.

And in the spirit of New Mexico ballocket launch facilities, let's raise a pint to Francis Vaughan, who was inspired by the poll to have this this "doubly self referential thought": Special Projects Alliterative Arboreal Avoidance Algorithm Acronym Competition Entry! ®

More from the lovely LOHAN:

• You can find full LOHAN coverage right here.
• If you're new to LOHAN, seek out our mission summary for enlightenment.
• There are photos our our magnificent Vulture 2 spaceplane here, and detailed structural plans here.
• For your further viewing pleasure, we have all our photographic material stored on Flickr.
• Our LOHAN and Paper Aircraft Released Into Space (PARIS) videos live on YouTube.
• We sometimes indulge in light consensual tweeting, as you can see here.