This hands-on workshop centers on programming and flying the CoDrone EDU, a classroom drone platform recently acquired by FSW's School of Business & Technology. Over five days, students progress from manual flight to fully autonomous, code-driven missions, building skills in:
- Drone flight fundamentals and FAA safety concepts (ground school)
- Manual flight and controller operation
- Block-based visual programming (Blockly) for automated flight
- Introductory Python programming for autonomous missions
- Sensor-based navigation and data collection (range, color, and obstacle-detection sensors)
- How AI and autonomy are shaping real-world drone applications
- Workforce relevance across public safety, agriculture, logistics, environmental science, and defense
The week follows a progressive mission arc — each day builds toward a final capstone competition and parent showcase, where student teams program their drones to complete an autonomous flight challenge. All flight is conducted indoors using FSW's CoDrone EDU classroom set (12 drones, controllers, and batteries).
