learning activities and science fair project suggestions...

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27October,2017 1

Gotadrone?Trythis…

LearningActivitiesandScienceFairProjectSuggestions

forYouandYourRecreationalDroneManeuveringthroughafast-pacedvideogametakesskills—pilotinganunmannedaerialvehicle(adrone)intherealworldcanpresentanevenbiggerchallenge.Flyingarecreationaldronepitsyouagainstthelawofgravityaswellasenvironmentalconditions.Whenyouattempttoaccomplishsomegoalwithyourdrone,youuseyourjoystickskillsaswellassomescienceandengineeringconcepts.Checkouttheactivitiesinthisguideforideasaboutwhatyoumightlearnwithyourdrone.Teamupwithsomehelpersorotherdronepilotstocompeteorcollaborateononeormoreactivities.Ifyousetouttolearnsomething,anddocumentyourprocedures,youcouldflyyourwaytoawinningsciencefairproject.Notethatthisguideisnotdesignedtoteachyouhowtoflyyourdrone…Weassumethatyou’vealreadylearnedtheskillsyouneedtosafelypilotyourdrone,andyou’rereadytoapplythoseskillsinnewways.Safetyfirst!Nomatterhowexperiencedyoumaybe,starteachflyingsessionwithafocusonsafety;planaheadtobecertainnooneishurtwhileparticipatingindroneflights.Whataretheseflyingthingscalled?Recreationaldronesare“toys”thatweighlessthanahalf-pound.TheyarealsocalledUnmannedAerialVehicles(UAVs),UnmannedAerialSystems(flightunitpluscontroller),quadracopters,andothernames.Throughoutthisguide,weusethetermdrone.TableofContentsWhatpayloadcanmydronecarry?....................................................................................................................2Howfastcanmydronefly?....................................................................................................................................4Howhighcanmydronefly?..................................................................................................................................6A3dviewfromadrone...........................................................................................................................................8Science&EngineeringPracticesandtheEngineeringDesignLoop.................................................10ScienceProjectandScienceFairTemplate..................................................................................................11Comparingimagesfromsatellitesanddrones...........................................................................................14Collectingdatawithdrones................................................................................................................................15UAVChallenge:AerialSurveyofaDisasterArea......................................................................................17AdditionalIdeas.......................................................................................................................................................28Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................................28


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Whatpayloadcanmydronecarry?Smallsensorsthatmeasureenvironmentalconditionssuchastemperature,airpressure,andlocationarebecomingwidelyavailableatreasonableprices.Canyourdronecarryoneormoreoftheseintoflight?TheChallenge:DesignandconductanexperimenttofindapracticallimitonthepayloadmassyourUAVcancarryintoflight.SuggestedMaterials:

String,shoelaces,orrubberbandsSetofmetalwashers,bolts,orothersmallweightsSmallfoodorpostalscaletomeasureweights

Trial1

UAVonlyTrial2

UAV+PayloadTrial3

UAV+PayloadTrial4

UAV+PayloadTrial5

UAV+Payload

Mass

Abilitytolaunch(good,fair,poor,fail)

Abilitytomaneuver

(good,fair,poor,fail)

Payloadmass

Thinkitthrough:Whatwillyoudotocollecttheinformationyouneed?Questionstoconsider:DoesthesampledatatableaboveincludealltheinformationIneed?Aretheterms“good,fair,poor,andfail”sufficientdescriptionsofmydrone’sabilities?Wouldaddingothertermsordefiningaquantitativescalebehelpful?Haveyouconsideredeverythingyouneedtotakeintoaccounttomakesureeachtrialisfair?Questionstoconsider:Whatenvironmentalordrone-basedvariablesthatcouldinterferewithyourtests.Howmucherrorcouldtheyintroduceintoyourresults?Howcouldyouaccommodateforthosevariablessothateachtrialisafaircomparisonofhowmuchweightyourdronecancarry?Howmanyseparatetrialswillittakeforyoutofeelconfidentinyourfinalanswer?Questionstoconsider:Isonesuccessfultrialenoughtoidentifyhowmuchweightyourdronecancarry?Isthereaminimumamountoftimeithastoflytocount?Ifyourdronehastheabilitytotakeoffwithacertainweight,butithasdifficultymanuevering,whatdoesthattellyouaboutitspracticalweightlimit?Whatkindofgraphics,videos,and/orphotographswouldbestdocumentyourresults?


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Flyyourdronetocollectdata.Recorddataabouteachsessionandflight.Useyourdatatoanswerthequestion.Presentyourresults.YoumaywanttodiscussanswerstotheQuestionstoConsideraspartofyourresults.FollowupSearchtheInternettofindsensorsyourdroneiscapableofcarryingintoflight.Describeexperimentsyoucouldconductwithoneormoresensorsandwhatyoucouldlearnfromthem.


27October,2017 4

Howfastcanmydronefly?Anafterschoolgroupdecidedtheywantedtomakeasnapshotofaspecifictreeontheircampuseveryday.Inordertofigureouthowmuchtimeitwouldtaketoflyouttothetree,getthepicture,andflybackeachday,theyneededanestimateofthedrone’saverageforwardspeed.TheChallenge:DesignandconductanexperimenttofindapracticalmaximumspeedyourUAVcanfly.SuggestedMaterials:

SportsfieldwithmarkeddistancesStopwatchesSeveralpeopletoserveastimers/spotters

Trial1 Trial2 Trial3 Trial4 Trial5

Distance

Time

AverageSpeed

Thinkitthrough:Whatwillyoudotocollecttheinformationyouneed?Questionstoconsider:HowcanImeausurethedrone’saveragespeedoveracertaindistancewithoutincludingthetimeittakestolaunchandgetuptospeed?Whatminimumdistanceshouldthedronecoverineachtrialtogetanaccurateestimateofitsspeed?5yards?50yards?Whatdidyoufindwastheperfectdistanceforyourtestingandwhy?Haveyouconsideredeverythingyouneedtotakeintoaccounttomakesureeachtrialisfair?Questionstoconsider:HowcanImakesureeverytrialisconsistent?Areallspotters/timersfollowingtheexactsameprocedure?Arespotters’resultsthesameorcloseoneachtrial?Whatenvironmentalordrone-basedvariablescouldinterferewithyourtests?Howmucherrorcouldthosevariablesintroduceintoyourresults?Howcouldyouaccommodateforthosevariablessothateachtrialisafaircomparisonofhowfastyourdronecanfly?Howmanyseparatetrialswillittakeforyoutofeelconfidentinyourfinalanswer?Questionstoconsider:Whatarethepracticallimitsofflyingyourdroneasfastasitcango?Atthemaximumpracticalspeedyouidentified,howlongwouldittakeforthedronetoflyoutoftheeffectiverangeofitscontroller?Whatkindofgraphics,videos,and/orphotographswouldbebesttohelpyoudocumentyourresults?Couldyouconstructadiagramtomakewhatyoudidsoclearthatanothergroupcouldsetupthesameexperiment?


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Flyyourdronetoperformyourexperiment.Recorddataabouteachsessionandflight.Useyourdatatoanswerthequestion.Presentyourresults.YoumaywanttodiscussanswerstotheQuestionstoConsideraspartofyourresults.FollowupIfthetreethegroupwantedtophotographwaslocated40yardsfromthedronelaunchsite,howmuchtimewouldittaketogetthephotographeachday?Whatotherfactorsshouldthegroupconsiderinestimatingthetimethedailyexperimentwouldtake?


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Howhighcanmydronefly?Ifyourdronedoesn’thaveaGPSunit,howcanyoufigureouthowhighyou’reflying?TheChallenge:Designandperformoneormoreexperimentstohelpyouidentifyawaytoestimateyourdrone’sheight.Useyourexperiencetojudgewhichmethodprovidesthemostaccurateestimates.Suggestedmaterials

FootballorsoccerfieldwithmarkeddistancesormeasuringtapeAngle-measuringapponasmartphoneORProtractorinclinometer(findinstructionsonlinetomakeyourown)Scientificcalculator

SuggestedProcedureSetupaflightzonesothedronepilotandobserverareaknowndistanceapart.Forinstance,youmightplaceyourselvesonasportsfieldsoyouare10yards(30feet)apart.Recordyourmeasurementonadatatable.Pilot:Flythedronestraightupandhoverdirectlyoverheadattheheightyouwanttomeasure.Observer:Usealevelapponasmartphone(oramakeanduseasimpleinclinometer)to1)Measureandrecordtheangletothedrone—you’llusethisvaluetocalculatetheheightofthedroneaboveyoureyelevel.2)Measureandrecordtheangletothespotdirectlybelowthedrone—you’llusethisvaluetocalculatetheheightofyoureyeabovetheground.3)Usetheanglesandformulas(whichusethetangentfunction(tan)onascientificcalculator)tocalculatetheheightofthedroneabovetheground.


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Example Trial1 Trial2 Trial3

Distancefrompilottoobserver

30feet

Observedangletodrone

43°

Observedangletothelocationdirectlybelowthe

drone

10°

Calculation(Tan(∠a)xdistancefrom

pilottoobserver)+(Tan(∠b)xdistancefrom

pilottoobserver)=Droneheightaboveground

(Tan(33)x30feet)+(Tan(12)x30feet)=(19.5feet)+(5.3feet)

=24.8feet

DroneHeight24.8feet

Thinkitthrough:Howmanytrialswillittakeforyoutofeelconfidentyourfinalanswerisaccurate?Howmightyoucheckifyouranswerisreasonable?Whatcanyoudowiththeinformationofhowhighyourdroneis?Howelsemightyouusethetechniqueyouusedtoestimateheight?Presentyourresults.YoumaywanttodiscussanswerstotheQuestionstoConsideraspartofyourresults.


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A 3d view from a drone When walking on a hike or around the schoolyard, sometimes you see something that is high up on a rock outcrop or a wall that catches your interest. Drones can fly up and take photos that you can anlyze later. By planning ahead to have enough overlap between photos, you take take those individial photos and make a 3-dimensional image! The Challenge: Design and conduct an experiment to take enough photos to make a 3-dimensional image of an outcrop to study the rocks and view where vegetation is growing on the outcrop. Steps:

What can we learn about the rocks where plants are growing on a rock outcrop?

Rock, paper, vegetation: An investigation using drones to photograph plant roots breaking rocks

Suggested materials:

1) Drone with a camera 2) One-meter circle or square laid on the ground (cloth or tarp) 3) Software that will make a 3D image from photos:

a. Photosynth: Capture your world in 3D: https://photosynth.net - make the 3d image b. Autodesk 123D: http://www.123dapp.com/catch c. SynthExport: https://synthexport.codeplex.com/ - export tool

Questions to consider as you plan: What other materials would be useful? What do you plan to photograph? What order & from what angles will you take the photos? Where: how high, from how far away, how many, how much overlap (>70% if making 3-dimension image)? When during the day, during the year, after an event? What other data is needed? How does the angle of camera on the drone impact the photos? Are circles still circles in the photograph? What environmental or drone-based variables could interfere with your photographs? Does the sample data table in step 5 include all the information I need? Who do I need on my team? Who will be the pilot? The photographer? The spotter?

What other information should be in your sketch? How far from the outcrop will the drone need to fly and get enough detail for your project? How many photos will you need to take to have 70% overlap? What hazards are there to be avoided?

Pick a question that you want to try answering with your drone.

3. Create a draft title based on your project question:

What are you steps? What will you do to collect the information you need?


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Consider making a table similar to this for your data: Flight 1: Location identification numbers for map

Name of pilot, photographer, spotters

Range of photo numbers

Date & Time Range

Height above ground, Distance from the outcrop & Area covered of each photo.

Direction of image collection (Panorama, Walk, Spin, Wall)

Description of image (Are there trees, bushes, grasses at the top of the outcrop? How far do the roots go into the rock? How is the rock where there are roots different than other areas? Color, consistency, staining, etc.)

Test circle Pilot: Photographer: Spotters:

1

2

3

4

5

Using software such as Photosynth or Autodesk 123D, stich the photos together to make a 3D image or panorama.

What modifications, sensors, and/or instruments would have helped with your project? Take a look at the engineering design loop for ideas.

Compile flight log, hypothesis, images, data chart, conclusion and any additional project pictures and results into a short report (or power point) for a classroom presentation or science fair exhibit.

Brainstorm additional projects you can do with the camera on your drone; what other 3D projects could you do; how could printing the 3D image help with your analysis, communication etc.

Organize the data – How do they contribute to answering your questions?

Measure the objects in your photos - are circles actually circles? How do the sizes of objects in photos change with distance and height of the drone? Generate statistics from your data. What patterns do you see in the rocks and/or roots? How far or how large an area of the outcrop has plant growth in it?

What have you learned from data that help you answer your project questions? How would you have changed your investigation design? Consider adding the answers from the questions to consider in step 4.

9a. Communicate: Make a Science Fair Display of your project and results

9b. Communicate & Evaluate: What would you tell your community leaders? Go online – what information would add to your project? What other ways could you use this information? What other data would be useful to evaluate if drones are useful & successful for these types of investigations?


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The Science & Engineering Practices and the Engineering Design Loop Work Together: An example. You’vefoundtheperfectscienceprojecttotryout!Yourquestionhashelpeddefinetheproblemyouwanttostudy,andyouareworkingthroughtheScience&EngineeringPractices.Asyoustartputtingtogetheramodeltodescribeyourhypothesisandplanyourproject,yourealizethatyoudon’thaveallofthepartstomakethestudywork.TheycouldberubberbandsandVelcrotoholdatinyinstrumenttoyourdrone.Maybeyou’reworkingwithateamofmakerstobuildyourownsensor.Perhapsit’sabettercamerathatissuperlightweight.Maybeyouwanttochangetheangleofthecamerasothatitpointsstraightdownorstraightahead.Eitherway,yourprojecthastakenaturntowardsengineeringdesign!Whetheritisasmallmodificationoracompleteseparateproject,theEngineeringDesignloopisagreatwaytoapproachtosolveaproblem.Whiletheloopisdrawninacircle,youmightfindthatyouneedtodosomejumpingwithinthelooparoundtocomeupwithaworkingprototypeandfinaldesign.Infact,oftenscientistsandengineerswillgobackandforthbetweenthetwoloopstoinform,test,andrefinetheproductbeingproducedanditsimpactonthescientificstudy.Tryitout!Youmightrealizethatyouarealreadydoingbothscience&engineeringinyourprojects!


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Pick a question that you want to try answering with your drone

Your Name & Team members

3. Create a draft project title based on your question:

What are you steps? What will you do to collect the information you need?


27October,2017 12

Measure the objects in your photos - are circles actually circles? How do the sizes of objects in photos change? Generate statistics from your data. What patterns do you see?

Organize the data – How do they contribute to answering your questions?

What have you learned from data that help you answer your project questions? How would you have changed your investigation design?


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9a. Communicate: Make a Science Fair Display of your project and results

9b. Communicate & Evaluate: What would you tell your community leaders?

What other data would be useful to evaluate if drones are useful & successful for these types of investigations?

Go online – what information would add to your project? What other ways could you use this information?


27October,2017 14

ComparingimagesfromDroneswithSatelliteimagesObjective:Explorethebasicconceptsofremotesensingbycomparingdatacollectedbyinstrumentsonpolarorbitingsatelliteswithpicturesandvideoscollectedviacamerasonrecreationaldrones.Materials:

1) SatelliteImageofyourlocationa. SatCam(freecitizenscienceappforiOSdevices)

http://satcam.ssec.wisc.edu/b. MODISToday(freeimagesviaanywebbrowser)

http://ge.ssec.wisc.edu/modis-today/2) UAVwithcamera

Steps:1) Makeahypothesisaboutthisdatacomparison,forexample:“Thesatelliteimagewillcoveragreaterareathanourdrone”(YES,ofcourse,butyougettheidea)2) Acquireasatelliteimageonthesamedayyouplantoflyyourdrone.Identifyas

manyfeaturesaspossible(clouds,bodiesofwater,vegetationtypes,citiesortownsetc…)

3) Conductadroneflightandcollectcamerapictures.Identifyasmanyfeaturesaspossible.

4) Organizeyourdata,hereisanexampleofatableyoucouldcreate:

Date SatelliteImage UAVPhotoDataSource&time(temporalresolution)

AreaCovered(includeunits)

Smallestfeature(spatialresolution)

Largestfeature(scale)

5)Makeaconclusionbasedonyourdata6)Brainstormadditionalprojectsyoucandocomparingdronedatawithsatelliteimages,forexample:green-uporgreen-down,identifyingiceonnear-bylakes,investigatingfallfoliage,etc…7)Compileflightlog,hypothesis,images,datachart,conclusionandanyadditionalprojectpicturesandresultsintoashortreport(orpowerpoint)foraclassroompresentationorsciencefairexhibit.


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Collectingdatawithdrones

Objective

Togivestudentsexperiencewithhowdronescanbevaluableforcollectingscientificdata,therebysupporttheirinquiryskillsaswellastheirknowledgeofdrones,knowledgeofsensinginstruments,andexperienceflyingdronesandcollectingdatafromthem.

CourseName:EarthScience

GradeLevel(s):6-12

LessonPlan:Collectingatmosphericdatawithrecreationaldrones

Goals

Studentswillmakepredictions,justifytheirpredictions,designaprediction-testingstudythatinvolvesflyingadronewithasensor.Thentheywillanalyzetheirdatatoseeiftherepredictionswerecorrectandsuggestafollow-upstudy

Estimatedduration:Three45-minuteclassperiods

Measurableobjectives

1.Salientpredictionandjustification

2.Feasibledesignofinvestigation

3.Successfuldroneflightanddatacollection

4.Appropriateanalysisofthedataresults

5.Designoffollow-upstudythatfollowslogicallyfromtheresults

Instructionalsequence

Period1:PredictionJustifications,andInvestigationPlanning

Period2:Atminimum,oneclassperiod,thoughthisphasecouldstretchoutdependingonthescopeoftheinvestigation

Period3:Dataanalysisandfollow-upsuggestion

Materials:Sensor,plusdronewithenoughlifttocarrythesensorpayload

Assessment:Rubric-basedscoringonthemeasurableoutcomes.


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Activity:Collectingdata

Introduction

Didyoueverwonderhowmuchairchangeswithaltitude?Doesitalwaysgetcolderormoister?Doesthepressurealwaysdecrease?And,howmuchdotheseconditionschange?Dothechangesvarywiththeweather,ortimeofday,orseason,withwhat'sonthesurface,orwiththeelevation?Dronesaregreatvehiclesforcollectingdatatostudythesethings.

Directions

1.Makeaprediction.Forexample,"IfIlaunchadroneonaflatgrassysurface20feetabovesealevelatnoononthefirstdayofeverymonthforawholeyear,Ipredictthattherewillalwaysbeadecreaseintemperaturegoingup200feet,butsometimestherewillbeabiggerdifferencebetweenthesurfacetemperatureandthetemperatureat200feetthanatothertimes.

2.Explainyourreasoningbehindtheprediction.Forexample,"IpredictthisbecauseIknowthatairisthinnerthehigheryougoandsoisitsretentionofradiatedheatatthesurface."

3.Chooseasensor.Makesurethesensorisdesignedtobecapableofhavingitsdatauploadedtoacomputingdeviceforanalysis.

4.UseVelcroorawelltiedstringtoattachthesensortothedrone.

5.Decidehowhighyouwanttoflythedrone.

6.Makeatabletorecordyourdata.Makeonecolumnforelevationandanotherfordatareadingsfromthesensor.

7.Flythedrone,andnotethedatareadingsatequalintervalsofchangeinelevation.Forexample,ifyouareflyingyourdroneupto200feet,youcouldtakeareadingataheightslightlyabovegroundlevel,thenat50feet,100feet,150feet,and200feet.

8.Onceyouhavethedata,determineifyourpredictioniscorrectandtrytorenderascientificexplanationfortheresults.

9.Presentyourdataandexplanation.

10.Suggestwhatwouldbeagoodfollowupstudywiththedrone.


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UAVChallenge:AerialSurveyofaDisasterAreaIntroductionStudentswillflytheirUAVs(UnmannedAerialVehiclesor"drones")overascale-modeltownthathasbeenstruckwithadisaster,surveyingthedamageviaacameraontheUAV.ThisactivitycanserveasaculminatingactivityinaseriesofUAVactivities(seelinksbelow)thatbuilduponeachother.Thisactivitycanserveasaperformanceassessmentfortheentiresequenceofactivities,sincethechallengepresentedinthisactivityincorporatesskillsandknowledgegainedfromalltheotheractivitiesinthisseries.WerecommendthatstudentscompletetheLearntoFly!UAVFlightSchool,LearntoFly!UAVFirstFlightandLearntoFly!AerialManeuverswithaUAVactivitiesasprerequisitestothisactivity.YoumightalsowanttohaveyourstudentsexperiencetheUAVPerformanceTest:CarryaPayloadactivityinpreparationforthisactivity.IntheCarryaPayloadactivity,studentsdeterminethemaximumweightthattheirUAVscanlift.InthatactivitystudentsbecomefamiliarwiththewayadditionalweightaffectstheflightperformanceoftheirUAV.Thatfamiliaritycouldbehandyinthisactivity,inwhichtheUAVcarriestheextraweightofacamera.YoumightalsowishtohaveyourstudentscompletetheUAVPerformanceTest:BatteryLifetimeactivitybeforetryingthischallenge.ThatactivitywillhelpthemestimatehowlongtheirUAVcanstayairborne,whichwillhelpthemplantheirmissionstrategyinthischallenge.CreditsThisactivitywascreatedbyRandyRussellandJohnRistveyoftheUCARCenterforScienceEducation.GradeLevelThisactivityisbestsuitedforstudentsinmiddleschoolorhighschool.Someupperelementarystudentsmightbecapableofconductingthisactivityaswell.TimeRequiredTeacherPreparationTime:60minutestogathermaterialsforthesimulatedtown,setupthetown,practicetheactivityandprepUAVsforstudentuse(chargingbatteries,etc.).ClassTime:About90-135minutes,dependingonwhichoptionsyouincludeandhowmuchtimeyouhavestudentsspendonin-depthanalysisofaerialimages.


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Dependsonhowmanystudentscanbedoingtheactivityatthesametime,whichisdependentonthenumberofstudentsinyourclass,thenumberofUAV'savailable,theamountofmaterialsavailabletomakesimulatedscale-modeltowns,thenumberofadultsavailabletosupervisestudentgroups,andthespaceavailableforflying.Approximatetimesforthesubsectionsofthisactivity:ExplaintheChallenge:20minutesAssignRolestoTeamMembers:20minutesAerialPhotography:20minutesAerialSurvey:30minutes(optional)In-depthimageanalysisanddisasterresponseplanning:45minutesLearningGoals

• Studentswilllearnhowremotesensingandaerialreconnaissancecanbeusedtohelppeopleindisastersituations.

• Studentswilllearntoplananaerialsurveymissiontomaximizetheamountofusefuldatatheycanretrieveinalimitedamountoftime.

• ActivityObjectives• Studentswillpracticeinterpretingaerialphotographs.• Studentswilldiscoverthechallengesrelatedtocapturingandinterpreting

remotesensingdata.• Studentwillworkasateam,fillingvariousroles(Pilot,SafetyOfficer,

CameraOperator,etc.).LessonFormat:Hands-onactivityScienceEducationStandardsAddressedNextGenerationScienceStandards

• 3-5-ETS1EngineeringDesign• MS-ETS1EngineeringDesign• HS-ETS1EngineeringDesign

MaterialsForeachStudent:

• safetygogglesForeachGroup:

• photo(s)ofwhatthesimulatedtownlookedlikebeforethedisaster• items(tape,rubberbands,pipecleaners,etc.)forstudentstousetoattach

acameratotheirUAVinanorientationthatallowsittocaptureimagesofobjectsdirectlybeneaththeUAV

• oneormoreUAV("drone")withacameraandthecontrollerusedtoflytheUAV

o Note:weusedtheSYMAX5HW-I.Someoftheinstructionsandimagesarespecifictothisparticularmodel,butmostaspectsofthisactivitycanbedoneequallywellwithotherUAVmodels.


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• smartphoneortabletcomputerwithsoftwareappfordisplayingtheimagesandvideofromtheUAV'scamera

o Note:theSYMAbrandUAVthatweusedwhiledevelopingthisactivityincludesasoftwareappcalledSYMAFPVthatrunsonsmartphonesortablets.TheappallowsyoutoconnectwiththeUAV'scameraduringflight,watchingthelivevideofeedfromthephoneortablet.Italsoallowsyoutorecordthevideofeedortotakestillphotoswheneveryouchoose.YouwillneedtodownloadandinstalltheSYMAFPVsoftwareontothesmartphone(s)and/orcamerasyouplantousewiththisactivity.IfyouareusingadifferentUAVmodel,consultyouruser'sguideforinformationonviewingandrecordingvideoandphotoswithyourUAVmodel.

• extrabatteriesfortheUAV• stopwatch(optional)

FortheClass:• anopenspaceinwhichtofly.Werecommendflyingindoorsinalargeopen

spacelikeagymnasium.Minimally,anarea20x30feetwithaceilingheightof15feetshouldsuffice.

• materialsforbuildingthesimulated,scale-modeltown.(SeeBuldingtheTown,below.)Itemssuchastoycarsandbuildings,Duplo™and/orLego™blocks,smalldollsandfigurines,waterbottlesandsimilaritemsworkwell.Avoiditemsthataretoolightweight-the"wind"fromtheUAV'spropellerscanblowthosearound-anditemsthatcouldbreakiftheUAVlandsorcrashesontothem.

• materialsforbuildingabarrierthatblocksthestudentsviewofthesimulatedtown;suchasawaist-high"mountainrange"madebydrapingaplastictarpoverafewchairs

Preparation• Conductafewtestflightstodeterminehoweasyordifficultthisactivitywill

beforstudents.• Createasimulated,scale-modeltown(seedescriptionbelow).• ChargebatteriesfortheUAV,includingspares.• IfyourUAVmodelincludesadetachablecamera,installthecameraonthe

UAVforthisactivity.Buildingthe"Town"Usewhatevermaterialsyouhavereadilyavailabletobuildasimulated,scale-modeltown.Herearesomesuggestionsforfeaturestoincludeanditemstousetorepresentthem:

• Buildings:Woodenblocks,boxesofvarioussizes,andLego™orDuplo™blocksworkwellforbuildings.Usestacksofcans(sodacans,cannedgreenbeans,etc.)orPringles®cansforroundtowers.Buildingsmadewithpiecesorsegments,suchasblocksorstacksofcans,canreadilybeconvertedto"damaged"formsafterthe"disaster"byplacingsomeoftheirpartsonthegroundnearby.Buildingscouldincludehousesorapartments,ahospital,firedepartment,aschool,cityhall,achurch,andsoon.


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• Vehicles:Toycars,trucks,ambulancesandfiretrucks,bulldozershelptellthestoryofthedisaster'sstatus.Aretherecrashedoroverturnedvehicles?Arethereemergencyresponsevehiclesonthescene,andifso,where?Isconstructionequipmentdiggingthroughrubble?

• PeopleandAnimals:Dolls,stuffedanimalsandfigurinesofallsortscanbeusedaspeople,pets,andlivestock.PickasizethatstrikesabalancebetweenlargeenoughtorecognizeviatheUAV'scameraandnottoolargeinproportiontobuildings,vehicles,andotherfeatures.

• WaterTowers:Waterbottlesworkwellforthis,andcanreadilybeoverturnedtorepresentdamage.Dothetown'sresidentshavedrinkingwaterornot?

• GasorOilTanks:Tanksofpetroleumforfuelorheatingcanrepresentfiredangers.Metalorplasticbowls,turnedupsidedown,orsmallballscouldrepresenttanksofgasoroil.

• FloodingorLava:Blueclothorplasticsheetingcanbeusedtorepresentwaterthatisfloodingportionsofthetownifyoupresentafloodingorhurricanedisasterscenario.Makesureyour"water"issecuredtothefloorsothe"wind"fromtheUAVdoesn'tblowitaround.Redmaterialcouldrepresentlavaifyouchooseavolcaniceruptionforyourdisaster.

• Useyourimagination!Iftherearelandmarks(statues,sculptures,unusualbuildings,etc.)inyourtownornearbyplacesthatyoucanincorporatetomakethetownfeelmorefamiliartoyourstudents,addthosein.

BeawarethatlightweightobjectsmightbeblownaroundbythewindfromtheUAV'spropellers;userelativelyheavyordenseobjectsforpartsofyourtown.Youcandoaquickcheckoftheeaseordifficultyofidentifyingyourmodeltown'sfeaturesviatheUAV'scamerabyhandcarryingtheUAVoverthetownwithitscameraon.Thiscanhelpyouquicklydeterminewhethercertainfeaturesareclearlytooeasyordifficulttoidentify.KeepinmindthattheimagesfromaflyingUAV,ascomparedtoahand-heldUAV,maybemuchlessclearandfarmoredifficulttointerpret.Payattentiontoscalewhenchoosingobjects,tomakeidentificationviaimagesfromtheUAVsimpler.Adollorfigurinerepresentingapersonshouldbesmallerthanavehicle;avehicleshouldbesmallerthanabuilding.Onceyourtownisassembled,takeoneormorephotosofitinitsundamagedstate.Providethese"before"imagestoyourstudentstoserveasamapofthetown-sotheycanplanwhichareastoflyoverandphotograph-andtocomparetotheiraerialimagestoassessdamage.Youcantakemultiplephotosifyouwant:from"groundlevel",fromabove,andfromdifferentcardinaldirections(North,South,East,West).Afteryouhavephotographedtheundamagedtown,createsomedamagefromadisaster.

• Decidewhatkindofdisasteryouwanttorepresent.Youmaywanttochooseadisasterappropriateforyourregion.Forexample,isyourlocalepronetoearthquakes?Tornadoes?Flooding?Hurricanes?

• Ifyouhavebuildingsmadeofmultipleparts(blocksorstacksofcans),takesomeofthepartsoffandplacethemonthegroundnearby.

• Tipoverwaterbottlestorepresentdamagedwatertanks.


27October,2017 21

• Dollsorfigurineslyingonthegroundcanrepresentinjuredpeople.• Overturnedvehiclescanindicatecrashes.• Thepresenceofemergencyvehiclessuchasambulancesorfiretruckscan

showwhereaidisneeded.• Youcanusebluepaperorclothorplasticsheetingtorepresent

floodwaters...butwillneedtotapethemdownorotherwisesecurethemtopreventtheUAVfromblowingthemaround.

• Stripsofredcrepepaperorplasticcanrepresentfires.Buildingthe"Mountains"The"mountains"preventthestudentsfromdirectlyviewingthedamagedtown,requiringthemtosurveythedamageviatheUAV'scamera.ThemountainsshouldbebetweentheplacewherethePilotandtherestofthestudentsstandandlocationofthesimulatedtown.Themountainsshouldbejusttallenoughtopreventstudentsfromseeingthetownbypeeringoverthemountains.Don'tmakethemountainstootall;studentsshouldbeabletokeeptheirUAVinviewatalltimeswhileflying,evenwhentheUAVishoveringoverthetownonthefarsideofthemountains.Here'soneexampleofasimplewaytomakea"mountainrange":

• Placeafewchairsside-by-side.• Drapeaplastictarp(about8x10footsizeworkswell)oroneormorebed

sheetsoverthechairs.• Tucktheendsofthetarporsheetsunderthefeetofthechairstoprevent

themfromblowingaroundwhentheUAVfliesover.Step-by-stepInstructions(fortheteacher)ExplaintheChallenge

• Explaintoyourstudentsthechallengetheyaretryingtosolveinthisactivity.

o ThenearbytownofDisastervillehasbeenstruckbyacalamity(choosebetweenanearthquake,tornado,flooding,volcaniceruption,hurricane,etc.).Communicationwiththetownhasbeencutoff.

o StudentsneedtoflytheirUAVoverthetowntosurveythedamagetoDisasterville.TheywillusethecameraandvideocapabilitiesoftheUAVtotakephotosand/orvideosofthetown.

o Youmightwanttodeviseafairlyin-depthstoryorlifelikescenarioforthischallenge,choosingadisasterscenariothatisespeciallyrelevanttotheareawhereyouandyourstudentslive.Youcouldbaseyourscenarioonactual,historicalevents.Forexample,thechallengedescriptionpagefromourMountainRescueactivityincludesanactual,real-lifescenariothatyoucouldadaptforthisactivity;floodinginamountaintowninColoradoin2013.

• Providestudentswithpre-disasterphotosofthetowntouseforreference.Thiswillhelpstudentsdecidewheretheyneedtoflyandwhatspecificfeaturestheyshouldsurvey.Asanalternative,youcouldgivethestudentsasketchedmapofthetown'slayoutandkeyfeatures.


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• Studentsshouldplantheirreconnaissanceflighttomakesuretheysurveyasmuchofthetownaspossible.Theyshoulddeterminespecificgoalsfortheirsurveyplans,suchas:checkinfrastructuresuchaswaterandgastanks,examineeachmajorbuildingintown,locateinjuredpeople,seewhereemergencyvehicleshavegone,andsoforth.

• Youmightwanttoputatime-limitonthesurveyprocess,tosimulatetheneedforquickdecisionsandactionsoftenrequiredinemergencyresponsesituations.Ifyoudoincludeatimelimit,tellyourstudentswhatthatis.

• Explaintostudentsthattheywillprobablyneedtore-examinephotosorvideostheyrecordduringtheirflightaftertheirflighthasended.Objectsthatfleetinglywhizbyinliveviewsduringtheflightcanbemorecloselyexaminedbyfreezingthevideoduringplaybackaftertheflight.Thisrealizationmayhelpinformstudentplanningoftheirsurveyflight.

• Asanoptionalfinalstageofthisactivity,youmaywanttohavestudentsformulateadisasteraidplanforthisscenarioafterthey'vecompletedtheirsurveyflight.Ifso,informthestudentsatthestartaboutthataspectofthechallenge.

• Tellstudentsthatthisisaverydifficultchallenge.Theyprobablywon'tbeabletogetgoodimagesofeverythinginthetown.Someimagesmaybequiteblurryandhardtointerpret.Explainthatintherealworld,disasterresponseteamsoftenhavetodealwithsimilardifficultiesanddothebesttheycanunderchallengingcircumstances.Encouragestudentstoremainpositiveevenifthischallengeismoredifficultthantheyexpect.

AssignRolestoTeamMembers

• Thereareseveralpossiblerolesforstudentsinthisactivity.Someareessential;otheraresomewhatoptional.Insomecases,onestudentmightbeabletofillmorethanoneroleifyouneedtokeepthestudentgroupssmall.Otherwise,thisisagreatteamactivitythatcanbebestdonebyagroupofstudents,eachfillingdifferentrolesandeffectivelycommunicationwitheachother.

• ThePilotusesthehand-heldcontrollertoflytheUAV,poweruptheUAV'spropellersinpreparationforflight,andpowerdownthepropellersaftertheUAVlands.ThePilotlistenstoinstructionsfromotherteammembersaboutwheretoflytogetthedesiredaerialimagescoveringallthekeyfeaturesinthetown.ThisactivityrequiresgoodpilotingskillstosteertheUAVtotherightspotsandhoverinplacewhilecapturingphotosandvideo.ThegroupshouldchooseoneoftheirmostskilledpilotstoflytheUAVduringthischallenge.

• ThePhotographermonitorsthevideofeedfromthecameraontheUAVduringtheflight.Sherecordsvideoand/ortakesphotosforlateranalysis.ShecommunicateswiththePilot,tellingthePilotwhichdirectiontomovetogetbetterfootageofaspecificgoalandletsthePilotknowwhentomoveonafteraparticulartargethasbeenphotographed.ThePhotographerworkscloselywiththeNavigator(describedbelow)tomakesureallkeytargetshavebeenobserved.


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o Note:theUAVmodelweusedwhiletestingthisactivityisabletosendalivevideosignalfromitscameratoatabletorsmartphoneforviewingduringflight.Theseinstructionsarewrittenforasystemwithsimilarcapabilities.SomeUAVcamerasrecordphotosandvideosduringflight,butthoseimagescannotbeviewedliveduringtheflight;theymustbedownloadedandviewedaftertheUAVhaslanded.Ifyoursystemhasaphoto/videosystemlikethat,youwillneedtomodifythisactivityslightlytoaccomodatethatsituation.

• TheNavigatorholdsthemaporpre-disasterphotosofthetown.ShecommunicateswiththePilotandthePhotographertohelpthemmakesuretheyflyoverandgetimagesofasmanykeytargetsinthetownaspossible.TheNavigatorshouldbesuretohaveaclearunderstandingofthegroup'sstrategyfortheirflightthatthegroupformulatesbeforetheyflytheirUAV.Ifyouneedtohavesmallgroups,itmaybepossibletocombinetheNavigator'sandPhotographer'sroles.

• AnoptionalSpottercanhelpthePilotbyconcentratingonkeepingtheUAVawayfromobstaclesandalertingthePilottoimmediatedangers.ThissupportcanallowthePilottofocusonthemissionofflyingoverplacestobephotographed.TheSpottercancommunicatetothePilottotakeemergencyevasiveactionsifdangerarises.TheSpotterandPilotshouldarrangeclearsignalsthattheyagreeuponbeforetheflight.

• AnoptionalTimercankeeptrackoftheflightdurationandalerttherestoftheteamaboutthepassingoftimeduringthemission.ThisisespeciallyusefulifyourstudentshavepreviouslycompletedtheUAVPerformanceTest:BatteryLifetimeactivityandknowabouthowlongtheUAV'sbatterylastsduringflight.TheTimercanlettherestoftheteamknowto"hurryup"iftheyhaveusedmostoftheirestimatedbatterychargebeforetheyhavecompletedamajorityoftheirmission.TheTimercanalertthegroupthattheyshouldflytheirUAVbacktobasesoonwhentheexpectedbatterydurationisalmostreached.

• TheRangeSafetyOfficer(RSO)hasthreeresponsibilities;explainthesetothestudents:

1. Makesureallstudentsinvolvedwiththeflightwearsafetygoggles.2. VerifythatthelaunchareaandairspaceareclearbeforetheflightandsignaltothePilot"allclear"whenready.3. AlertthePilotifanysafetyhazardsariseduringtheflight.4. Ifasafetyissueoccurs,theRSOshouldinstructthePilottolandtheUAVandstopthepropellersbypullingdown(towardsthePilot)theleftleveronthejoystickandholdingitdown.

• Beforeflying,theteamshoulddiscusswhereeachmemberwillstandduringtheflight.

o NoneofthestudentsshouldbeallowedtostandwhereshecandirectlyseeDisastervillewithoutviewingitviatheUAV'scamera.Tellthistothestudentsexplicitly.

o ThePhotographerandNavigatorneedtobenexttooneanotherandnearenoughtothePilortocommunicatetoher.


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o TheSpotteralsoneedstobenearenoughtothePilottocommunicatewithher.IftheSpotterfacesthesamedirectionasthePilot,somecommandsaresimpler("Goright...doyoumeanmyrightoryourright?").

AerialPhotography

• ThisactivitycanserveasanintroductiontoaerialphotographyandvideographyfromaUAV.YoumaydecidethatphotographyfromaUAVisitselfsufficientlychallengingforyourstudentsthatyouwouldlikethemtogainexperiencewiththatskillbeforeattemptingthisactivity.Ifso,youcouldhavethemconductarelativelyquickexerciseinwhichtheytakeaphotoorvideoofsomeobjecttoprepareforthisactivity.Thatexercisecanhelpthemdiscoverthequalitytheyshouldexpecttoachieveintheiraerialphotosandvideos,howeasyorharditistopointthecameraaccuratelyatandobject,howeasyorharditistokeepaUAVsteadywhiletakingpictures,andsoon.

o Afunvariantofthisistohaveyourstudentstakea"dronie"ofthemselves-a"selfie"phototakenfromtheUAV(drone+selfie=dronie).Thiscanpresentasignificantchallengeintheformofaseeminglysimpletask.FlyingaUAVthatisfacingtowardsthePilotistricky,since"moveleft"and"moveright"arereversed.Takingastillphotoatjusttherighttimeisnoteasy.PointingtheUAVanditscamerainjusttherightdirectionsothestudentsareallintheframeofthecameraisalsochallenging.

• TheUAVmodelthatweusedwhiletestingthisactivityhasacamerathatismountedfacinghorizontally.Inotherwords,it"looks"forwardfromthefrontoftheUAV.ThisisnotanidealalignmentfortakingphotosofobjectsdirectlybeneaththeUAV,whichisneededinthisactivity.Intestingthisactivity,weusedsometapetoattachthecameratotheUAVinanon-standardpositionsoitwasfacingdownward.Todoso,wehadtomakesurethecamerawasstillfirmlyattached,wasnotinterferingwiththeUAV'spropellers,andwasstillcloseenoughtothesocketontheUAVwherethewirefromthecameraplugsin.Also,ourdownward-pointingmountingleftthecamerasomewhatoff-center,whichcausedtheUAVtobesomewhatmoredifficultforthePilottocontrol.YoumightwantyourstudentstocompletetheUAVPerformanceTest:CarryaPayloadactivitybeforeattemptingthischallenge;itwillgivethemexperienceflyingtheUAVwhenitisabitmorechallengingtocontrolduetotheaddedweight.Youcanhaveyourstudentstakeonthechallengeofhowtobestmountthecamerainadownward-pointingorientation,posingitasanengineeringdesignchallengethatispartofthisoverallchallenge.Yourstudentsmightinventacreativesolutiontothisproblem,suchasmountingasmallmirrorinfrontofthecameraata45degreeangletoeffectivelymakeit"look"downward.

AerialSurvey

1. PlaceabatteryinsideaUAV,connecttheUAVwiretothebatterywire,closethebatterycompartment.


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2. TheteacherandtheRangeSafetyOfficershouldinspecttheUAVandthecameramountingforsafety.

3. PlacetheUAVinsideofandnearoneedgeofthespaceyouhaveavailableforflying.

4. ProvidethePilotwiththeUAVcontroller.5. Whenitissafetofly,havetheRangeSafetyOfficerindicatetothePilotthat

shecantakeoff.6. ThePilotshouldcontroltheUAVtotakeoffandflyacrosstheFlightArea,

overthesimulatedmountains,andhoverabovethesimulatedtown(henceforthreferredtoas"Disasterville").The(optional)TimershouldstartthestopwatchwhentheUAVtakesoffandshouldmonitortheelapsedtimethroughouttheflight.

7. TheNavigatorandthePhotographershouldadvisethePilotwheretosteertobringkeylandmarksinDisastervilleintothecamera'sfieldofview.

8. ThePhotographershouldtakephotosofkeyfeaturesastheycomeintoviewand/orrecordvideothroughouttheflight.

9. IfyouincludetheoptionalSpotterrole,thatstudentshouldadvisethePilotif/whentheUAVisdriftingawayfromthesafeareatoflyorgettingtooclosetoanyobstacles(suchasthesimulatedmountains).ThissupportfromtheSpottercanallowthePilottofocusmorefullyonfollowinginstructionsfromtheNavigatorandPhotographerthroughoutmostoftheflight.

10. ThePilotshouldflytheUAVbacktothetakeofflocationandlanditgentlyonce:

a. TheNavigatorandPhotographerdecidethatallofthekeyfeaturesofDisastervillehavebeenphotographedorcapturedonvideo,or

b. TheUAV'sbatterygetslow,eitherasindicatedbyflashinglightsontheUAVorwhentheTimerindicatesthatthebatteryisduetorunout

11. Aftertheflight,allstudentsontheteamshouldreviewthephotosand/orvideosfromtheflightandassessthestateofaffairsinDisastervilleanddeterminetheextentandtypeofdamagetothetown.Theyshouldreporttheirfindingstotheteacher.

Thereareseveraloptionalextensionstothisactivitythatyoucanhaveyourstudentstryifyouhaveenoughtime.DetailsofthoseoptionsaredescribedintheBackground&Extensionssection(tab)ofthisactivitywriteup.Thoseoptionsinclude:formulatingadisasteraidplanforthetownbasedontheirreconnaissanceimages,makingmultiplesurveyflightswithanalysisandnext-flightplanningsessionsbetween,conductingthisactivityasawhole-class,largegroupexercise,oraddingaverychallengingtaskofdroppingoffsuppliesintoorcarryingsomethingoutofthestrickentown.AssessmentThereareseveraltimesduringthisactivitywhenyoucanassessstudentsperformance.Thesearemostlynaturalconsequences...properactionsbythestudentsresultinsuccessfulflights,whileinappropriatebehaviorsarelikelytoresultinpoorflights.Youcanusethisin-depthassessmentrubricorrefertothebulletpointsbelowtoevaluatestudentperformance.


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• HavethestudentsmountedtheircameraontheUAVinawaythatallowsthemtocapturegoodpictures?Isthemountingsafe,unlikelytointerferewiththepropellers,andunlikelytofalloffduringflight?

• DothestudentshaveagoodplanforphotographingkeyfeaturesinDisasterville?

• DothePilot,Navigator,andPhotographerhaveagoodplantocommunicatewitheachotherduringtheirflight?Dotheycommunicatewellduringthesurveyflight?LikewisefortheSpotterandTimerifyouincludethoseroles.

• DostudentssuccessfullycaptureimagesofmostofthekeyfeaturesinDisasterville?

• Howwelldothestudentsinterprettheirdata(photosandvideos)andaccuratelyassessdamagetothetown?

• Howgoodisthestudents'planfortheirrecommendedemergencyresponsetothetown?Dotheyhaveagoodsenseofsuppliestosend?Ofthescopeofthedamage?Ofthenumberofinjuredpeople?Ofurgentissuestoaddress(destroyedwatertowerorfirehazardfrompetroleumtanks)?

• DostudentssuccessfullyflytheirUAVtothetownandbackandlandsafely?DotheycrashandlosetheUAVsomewherenearthetown?DotheycrashtheirUAVontoanythinginthetown?

TeachingTipsSafety

• Avoidwind(werecommendflyinginalargeindooropenspacesuchasaschoolcafeteriaorgymnasium)

• Beforeflyingindoors,checkthespaceyouplantouseforsafety.Arethereanylightfixtures,A/VequipmentorothersensitiveobjectssuspendedfromtheceilingthatcouldbedamagediftheUAVcollidedwiththem?ArethereanyfiresprinklerheadsthatmightbesetoffifdisturbedbytheUAV,floodingtheroom?CarefullyinspectthespaceforhazardsandfragileobjectsthatcouldbedamagedbytheUAV.AgymnasiumcanbeagoodchoiceforindoorflyingsincethefixturesinagymaregenerallydesignedtowithstandbeinghitbyobjectsheavierthanasmallUAV,suchasbasketballs.

• Beforeeachflight,checktomakesurethestudentPilotknowshowtoquicklylandtheUAVandhowtoquicklystoptheUAV'spropellers.Intheeventofacrash,sometimesthepropellerswillcontinuetospin(iftheUAVisleaningagainstawallorisupsidedown)untilthePilotturnsoffthepropellers.InthecaseoftheSYMAUAVmodelweusedwhiledevelopingthisactivity,thePilotmustpulltheleftjoysticktowardsherselfandholditforacoupleofsecondsuntiltheUAVpropellersstop.ChecktheinstructionsforyourUAVtomakesureyouknowyourmodelworks.StudentscanbecomeabitflusteredwhenaUAVcrashes,soitisagoodideatoreviewthis"emergency"shutdownprocedureimmediatelybeforeeachflight.

• WheneverastudentwhoisinexperiencedatPilotingiscontrollingtheUAV,itisimportantfortheteachertobenearthePilotandofferassistanceasnecessaryduringtheflight.Intheeventofanunsafesituation,helpthestudentinneedortakecontrolfromthePilottoensurethateveryoneissafe


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• Practiceatlowaltitudes• Setandobserveflightsinsafeplaceswithboundariesclearofhazards• Bealert.Don'tletenthusiasmovercomecommonsense• Ifthereisapotentialdanger,stopandchangethesituation

OptionalExtensions• Asafollowuptothedamageassessmentreport,havestudentsformulatea

disasteraidplantohelpthetowno Isemergencymedicalassistanceneededforinjuredpeople?How

manyinjuredtownsfolkdidthestudentsspot?o Isthereaneedforemergencyshelter?Weremanybuildings

damaged?Howseverely?o Werethewatertanksorthepetroleumstoragetanksdamaged?Do

thetownsfolkneedsuppliesoffreshwater?Isthereadangerofthepetroleumtanksingniting?

o Ifpossible,whatifanyaidsuppliesshouldbeflowntothetown?Ifpossible,shouldanyinjuredpeoplebeairliftedoutofthetown?

• Dependingonthetimeyouhaveforthisactivity,youmightallowstudentstoconductmorethanonereconnaisanceflight.Aftertheyreviewtheirphotosandvideos,theymaydiscoverthattheydidn'tgetimagesofcertainfeaturesofthatsomeoftheirimagesareofpoorquality.Theirsecond(andsubsequent?)flightcouldfocusongettingbetterimagesofitemstheymissed.Westronglyrecommendyouallowstudentsmorethanoneflightiftimepermits;itcanbeverydifficulttogetgoodimagesonafirstflightandfrustratingtotrytointerpretpoorimages.

• Thiscanalsobeawhole-classactivity.ThefirstteamtosurveyDisastervillecoulddescribetheirdiscoveriestotheothergroups;thendifferentgroupscouldfocusoncapturingimagesofareasthefirstgroupmissed,orthatrequireasecondlookfromanotherangleorabetterqualityimage.Thisapproachrequiresalotofcommunicationandbetween-groupcooperation.

• Youcouldalsohavestudentsattempttoeitherdeliversimulatedaidsuppliestothetownviaadrop-offfromaUAVortoairliftaninjuredpersonoutofDisasterville.ThiswouldbeaVERYchallengingextensiontothisactivity.Ifyouchoosethisoption,itwouldprobablybegoodforstudentstocompletetheUAVChallenge:RetrieveaPayloadactivitybeforetakingonthischallenge.

MoreUAVActivities• LearntoFly!UAVFlightSchool• LearntoFly!UAVFirstFlight• LearntoFly!AerialManeuverswithaUAV• UAVPerformanceTest:BatteryLifetime• UAVPerformanceTest:CarryaPayload• UAVChallenge:RetrieveaPayload


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AdditionalIdeasUseyourdronetocheckoutsomethingthatisn’treadilyvisible.(Setupatypeofscavengerhuntwhereyouaskthingslike“whatobjectisontheroof?”or“submitapictureofanislandinapond.”Takepicturesofthesamethingfromtwodifferentpointsofview.Identifysimilaritiesinthepicturetoalignthem.Useimage-processingsoftwaretogenerateared/bluecompositeimage.Viewitwithred/blueglassesforathree-dimensionalvisualization.Howdoestemperatureaffectbatterylife/flyingtime?Canyouflylongerincoldorwarmtemperatures?Athighorlowelevations?Whatotherfactorsmightaffectthemaximumflightduration?Whatisthemaximumdistance(range)atwhichyoucancontrolyourUAV?CanyourUAVreceivesignalsthroughwood?brick?glass?metal?Deviseatesttofindoutwhichmaterials(orwhatdistance)interferewiththesignalfromyourcontrollertoyourUAV.Considerconductingsimilartestswithotherremotedevices(Bluetoothcomputermouse,cordlesstelephone,otherRCtoys)Takeseveralphotoswithyourdroneandusesoftwareto“stitch”themtogethertoproduceaphoto-realisticmapofaparkorschoolcampus.Howoftenmightyouneedtoupdatethemaptoensurethatitremainsuptodate?Woulditremainthesameineachseason?Setupachallenge:Modelthestepsitwouldtaketodeliverfood,water,andmedicalsuppliestoanareawhereadisasteroccurred.Takeapayloadofaminimumweighttoaspecifiedlocation,deliverit,andflythedronebacktoyou.Exploresocialfacetsofusingdrones.Somepeopleareagainsttheuseofdronesforvariousreasons(theiruseinwar,potentialforinvasionofprivacy,thenuisanceofnoise)Choosealocationandtakerepeatphotographytodocumentchange.Pre-requisite:FigureouthowtoflyyourUAVtothesameheightandlocationonmultipleoccasionsfortimeseriesphotos.ConsiderusingGLOBEand/orNature’sNotebookprotocolstobecomefamiliarwithobservablechangesinplantsandanimalsindifferentseasons.Howwouldyoumodifytheprotocolstomakeobservationswithyourrecreationaldrone?AcknowledgementsThesedraftactivitieswerecontributedbyvolunteerswhoparticipateintheEducationCommitteeoftheESIP(EarthScienceInformationPartners)Federation.ThankstoLuAnnDahlman,Collabralink,Inc./NOAAClimateProgramOffice;MargaretMooney,CIMSS/UW-Madison;ShelleyOlds,UNAVCO;RandyRussell,UCARCenterforScienceEducation,andDanZalles,SRI.

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