CURRICULUM SAMPLE. The Anatomy of a Drone DAY STEM CONNECTIONS DURATION MATERIALS

Transcription

1 32 The Anatomy of a Drone SCHEDULE STEM CONNECTIONS Technology: Empowered Learning DURATION 60 Minute Lesson MATERIALS Recap (5 min) All 5 drones All 5 radio controllers, charged All batteries, charged BrickLAB bricks Computer connected to projector Droneology: Essential Knowledge Videos and Discussion, Part One (30 min) Flight Teams: Single Obstacle LOS (20 min) Wrap Up (5 min) 5 DAY

2 OBJECTIVE Identify a drone s essential components. ALIGNED STANDARDS ISTE 1d Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies. 21 ST CENTURY SKILLS Information, Media and Technological Literacy Initiative and Self-Direction KEY TERMS Flight controller: the brain of the drone, a small circuit board that s programmed to control other electrical and mechanical components of the drone. Frame: the structural skeleton of the drone, usually the frame includes an upper chassis, lower chassis, arms and a prop guard. Motors: convert electrical energy into mechanical energy to spin the propellers of the drone. Propellers: fan-shaped sets of blades that spin to create lift, allowing the drone to fly. UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle): commonly called drones, UAVs are aircraft without human pilots onboard. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Many drone pilots live by the mantra, Build, Fly, Crash, Repeat, and at this point, your campers have probably encountered the crash and repeat parts of the process. Whether it s replacing a bent propeller, swapping out batteries or repairing a broken frame, it s helpful to know the essential components of UAVs. Drones are divided into three subsystems, each containing its own unique sets of components: 1.) The static structural pieces that keep the drone s rigid shape. 2.) The dynamic mechanical parts that create motion. 3.) The complex electronics that supply power, house programs and transmit data. Prepare yourself, the terminology of these systems might feel like a foreign language ESC, RX, VTX, LiPo, quad but don t worry! What s most important is for campers to master the basics: the flight controller, frame, motors, propellers and batteries. DAILY PREP Set up a computer connected to a projector to show Droneology videos. Make sure the batteries are charged for all the drones, radio transmitters and FPV monitors. Find a wide, open space such as a gymnasium or outdoor field so campers can spread out for flight practice. Practice until you re able to comfortably pilot the drone around a tower or through an arch LOS (line-of-sight). Be prepared to separate campers into five groups. HABITS OF MIND Thinking Interdependently Managing Impulsivity 33 DAY 5: The Anatomy of a Drone

3 DAY 5: The Anatomy of a Drone 34 RECAP STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS FOR INSTRUCTORS Welcome campers back and start today s activities by asking what they remember from the previous lessons. (If you re combining several lessons into a longer block and are transitioning directly from Day 4, move straight into the rest of the Droneology videos.) DRONEOLOGY: Essential Knowledge, Part One To transition into today s videos, ask campers what kind of repairs they ve made on their drones so far. Then, share with the class that just like how it s helpful to know the different parts of your car, as a drone pilot, it s helpful to know drone terminology, the focus of today s videos. Watch the first Essential Knowledge video, What is a Drone?, on the big screen all together. Quickly debrief afterwards. Possible discussion questions: What is a UAV? (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.) What does unmanned mean? (Unmanned means no human pilot is on board to control the vehicle.) What are other examples of UAV s? (Model airplanes, helicopters any aircraft without a human pilot in the cockpit. When the word drone is used in everyday conversation, it includes UAVs like the quadcopters being used in this camp that are remotely controlled by a human pilot.) Watch the Drone History video all together. Spend some time discussing afterwards. Possible questions: Did anything in that video surprise you? Where did the word drone come from? ( Drone is a bee-inspired term first used to describe pre-programmed aircrafts used by the military during World War II.) Next up: Components of a Drone. After the video, pass around one of the drones and challenge campers to identify each part and what it does. For an extra challenge, sort the components into structural (solid parts that give the drone its shape), mechanical (parts that allow the drone to move) and electrical (parts that provide power and allow the drone to think). The video includes a lot of different parts, but focus in on a few key components:

4 Frame: What does the frame do for the drone? (The frame gives the drone its shape and protects it from damage.) Propellers ( Props ): What do the props do? (The props make the drone fly by generating lift.) Motors: Why are the motors so important? (The motors spin the propellers, so without them, flight wouldn t be possible.) Flight Controller: Why does the drone need a flight controller? (The flight controller is the brain of the drone. It can understand signals from the radio receiver to guide the drone. Think of it as a miniature autopilot for the drone.) Lithium Polymer (LiPo) Battery: Why is the battery so important? (LiPo batteries are very powerful, lightweight batteries. Since the motors, electronic speed control, flight controller, radio receiver and camera all rely on the electricity coming from the battery, the battery determines how long and how fast the drone can fly. Because the batteries store so much power, they re also extremely volatile, meaning they can easily catch fire or explode if not treated properly.) Small Groups FLIGHT TEAMS: Single Obstacle LOS Review pre-flight safety (inspect the battery and drone, make sure the fire extinguisher and first aid kit are on hand), then demonstrate the day s challenge: lift off and navigate around an obstacle before returning to the launch pad. Now, break into flight teams. Campers take turns moving the drone in all four directions, even navigating the drone through the simple course. Campers waiting for their chance to fly work on building a tower (flag) or arch (gate) out of BrickLAB bricks for the team. At the end of the day, set out two bins to separate batteries that need to be charged from those that are still ready to go. WRAP UP As a group, ask campers to share what they learned and want to remember for the next day. 35 DAY 5: The Anatomy of a Drone

5 DAY 5: The Anatomy of a Drone 36 EXTENSIONS Science Notebooks Sketch the mini drone in science notebooks. Label and describe all the essential components.