Students in Houston and San Antonio were the first to participate in the Drones 101: Intro to Engineering Design session of the Microsoft Drone Academy. The inaugural sessions were hosted at the Microsoft Retail Stores in the Baybrook Mall in Houston on May 19th and the La Cantera Mall in San Antonio on June 2nd.
Led by Dr. Cesare Wright and Shelea Majors, the Drones 101 workshop introduces students to the fundamentals of drone and robotic technology, while also challenging them to imagine creative technological solutions to important societal problems.
Breakout sessions explore such topics as human-centered design, robotic technology, computer science, and applied engineering design.
After learning about current uses of drones and robotic technologies, students are challenged to identify real-world problems that might be addressed through the application of drone technology.
Working in small groups, students apply the engineering design process to identify a problem, ideate a technical solution, and conceptualize a product design.
In addition to learning technical engineering skills, students practice the crucial teamwork and leadership skills that are required to excel in higher education and industry. Key among these non-technical skills is the ability to communicate and articulate a vision to an audience, in order to create buy-in and explain complex technical data.
The day culminates in a round of “Shark Tank” style pitches, during which the students present their ideas to a panel of experts (and highly critical parents!). Microsoft instructors guide students through the use of Windows 10 applications, including Fresh Paint and Sway, which they then use to create compelling and informative visual presentations.
Local non-profit organizations invited a highly diverse group of students to participate in an action-packed day of STEM learning, which attracted students from public and private schools, as well as the home school community.
Working collaboratively on project teams, the students developed an impressive array of technical project concepts, including ideas for a drone that can save lives during school shooting incidents, a tracking and recovery drone that helps reunite owners with lost pets, and a sub-sea environmental protection drone that gathers information about chemical and particulate density and uses ocean currents to reclaim energy and charge its own batteries!
