Drone Challenge
The STEMbotics Drone Challenge is a fall semester drone program designed for students who are ready to move beyond basic flying and start progressing towards technical competitions.
Students will use the CoDrone EDU and will prepare for a final Drone Challenge Competition Day in December. The class is modelled after the RECF Aerial Drone Competition, which includes four major mission areas:
Teamwork Mission
Students practice working with another team or participant to plan a strategy, communicate clearly, and complete field objectives together. This helps students learn that successful drone operation is not just about flying — it also requires planning, teamwork, and calm communication.
Autonomous Flight Mission
Students use block- or text-based languages to program their drone to complete tasks without manual control. They will learn sequencing, timing, testing, debugging, and how small code changes can affect a flight path.
Piloting Skills Mission
Students build precise manual flight skills by navigating obstacle-style challenges. They will practice takeoff, landing, control, accuracy, and consistent flight paths.
Communications Mission
Students learn how to document their design choices, coding decisions, testing results, and competition strategy. They will practice explaining what they tried, what worked, what failed, and how they improved — just like a real competition team.
Throughout the season, students will build confidence in drone safety, flight principles, problem-solving, programming, communication, and teamwork.
Fall Season Fee: $350
Includes weekly Thursday classes from 3:30–5:00 p.m., use of a CoDrone EDU during class and competition, and the final competition entry fee.
Competition-Only Registration
Students who own their own CoDrone EDU system are welcome to register for the final Drone Challenge Competition Day only. We will be following the RECF Aerial Drone Competition structure and students should be prepared to complete all four missions during the competition day.
Competition-Only Fee: $75
Competition-only participantss must provide:
- Their own CoDrone EDU
- A complete team of two students
- Their own preparation and practice before competition day
This option is best for students who already have access to a CoDrone EDU and want to participate in the final competition without attending the full fall semester program.
**Students choosing this option will need to email erin@stemboticsstudio.com for Competition registration.
