Drone Maker: Build, Code & Fly with AR for Junior

Grades: Grade 1-2

Length: 3 weeks

Accreditation: Fully WASC Accredited (The Gold Standard in K-12 Education)

Prerequisite: None

DESCRIPTION

Calling all Junior pilots! Are you ready to take control? In this 3-week adventure, you won't just play with a drone—you will program it.

This isn't just about flying a drone; it’s about understanding the machine. Junior students start with the basics of manual piloting, developing the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination needed to fly safely and accurately. They will get hands-on with the drone to see exactly how motors, propellers, and sensors work together.

But a pilot needs more than just a remote—they need logic. Students will use block-based coding to program flight paths. Finally, they will look into the future of robotics by using Holographic AR. They will fly their physical drone in the room while watching its "Digital Twin" navigate a virtual world to accomplish missions and save lives!

Along the way, campers build creativity, critical thinking, and persistence as they debug and improve the drone they create.

No experience needed—everyone learns at their own pace, with extra challenges for kids who are ready for more.

Experience the Magic of Drones + AR:

• Learn to Fly: Before coding, Junior pilots get comfortable flying manually. They practice takeoff, hovering, and landing using the remote controller, building confidence and motor skills.
• Discover Drone Mechanics: Students explore the science behind the drone. They examine the parts to understand how motors and sensors create stability and balance in the air.
• Code Your Flight: Students become the Mission Captain! Using beginner-friendly blocks, they write code to tell the drone exactly when to flip, turn, and navigate a path automatically.
• Teleport the Skies (Digital Twin): Students fly their drone in the real world while seeing a "Digital Twin" of it inside a Holographic AR world. This teaches them how drones help solve problems by going places humans can't!

Hardware Provided:

• Programmable Drone with Camera: A drone designed for coding and flight mechanics exploration with PicoW (industry standard).
• Note: Hardware is provided for camp use only.

What You Will Do:

• Fly & Control: Learn how to properly hold the controller and fly the drone manually. You will practice flying with care and safety.
• Explore Components: Get up close with a real programmable drone, learning about circuits, motors, and battery safety.
• Understand Flight Science: Learn the physics of flight—how lift, drag, and thrust keep your machine in the air.
• Code the Drone: Use drag-and-drop coding to program automated flips, turns, and landing maneuvers.
• AR Flight Missions: Control your real drone while monitoring its Digital Twin in a virtual environment—learning how remote drones handle dangerous missions safely.
• Play & Learn: Enjoy a healthy balance of learning with fun indoor/outdoor camp activities.
• Note: The smart robot hardware is provided for camp use, not to take home.

Students will learn the following:

• Introductory Space Engineering (Junior Level)
• Introductory Drone Engineering (Junior Level)
• Introductory Drone Coding (Junior Level)
• Holographic AR Design & Logic for Drone Control (Junior Level)
• UI/UX Design (Junior Level)
• Interactive Storytelling for Drone Applications (Junior Level)
• Debugging & Problem-Solving (Junior Level)
• Intro to Spatial Reasoning & Navigation (Junior Level)
• Computer, keyboard, mouse, and Internet skills (Junior Level)