RobotnixAcademy
← Courses

Drones

Drone Engineering

A visible working draft of an 18-week drone engineering pathway covering flight dynamics, propulsion, control, sensing, FAA operations, safety, photogrammetry, autonomous mission logic, and evidence-based mission design. The course is open for learner review while factual, hardware, standards, and classroom validation remain in progress.

Author & maintainer
Mr. Nevarez · Computer Science Teacher
Length
18 weeks
Audience
9-12
Entries
90
NJ standards
8.1.12.AP.6 · 8.2.12.ED.1 · 8.2.12.ITH.1 · FAA.107.1 · FAA.107.2 · FAA.107.3 · FAA.SAFE.1 · FAA.SAFE.2 · FAA.TRUST.1 · FAA.TRUST.2 · HS-ETS1-1 · HS-ETS1-2 · HS-ETS1-3
Interactives
2 labs

Week 01

  1. overviewWeek 01: UAS Foundations and Responsible UseThis week, you will model a drone as a complete UAS: aircraft, control station, communication link, payload, operator, and operating boundary. You will not fly, configure, or power an aircraft.
  2. Lesson 1A UAS Is a SystemA drone is not the whole system.
  3. Lesson 2Mission, Authority, and BoundariesA drone mission begins before anything powers on.
  4. Lesson 3Mission-System Decision ReviewNow you have enough structure to make a first UAS engineering decision.
  5. ReflectionWeek 1 UAS Evidence LogThis is your first Drone Engineering evidence log.

Week 02

  1. overviewWeek 02: LiPo Energy, Storage, and No-Go DecisionsThis week, you will build battery risk decision record for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Energy in a LiPo PackA battery sitting on a table can look completely inactive. That is the first trap.
  3. Lesson 2Charging and Storage BoundariesCharging a battery is not “put electricity back in.” It is a controlled energy-transfer process.
  4. LabThermal-Runaway Incident ReviewAn incident review is not a hunt for somebody to blame.
  5. ReflectionWeek 2 Battery Risk LogWeek 2 ends with a decision log, not a diary entry.

Week 03

  1. overviewWeek 03: Airframe Structure and Mechanical LoadsThis week, you will build airframe inspection and load-path sketch for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It…
  2. Lesson 1Frames, Arms, and Load PathsA drone frame is not a shelf for electronics.
  3. Lesson 2Center of Gravity and Payload MountingA payload can be light enough for the aircraft and still be mounted in the wrong place.
  4. Lesson 3Airframe Inspection ReviewA useful inspection does more than find visible damage.
  5. ReflectionWeek 3 Airframe Evidence LogWeek 3 is about forces you cannot see directly.

Week 04

  1. overviewWeek 04: Propulsion, Lift, and Motor MatchingThis week, you will build propulsion tradeoff note for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not authorize…
  2. Lesson 1Motor, Propeller, and Thrust ChainA propeller does not “make the drone fly” by itself.
  3. Lesson 2Efficiency, Heat, and Battery DemandEvery propulsion system pays for thrust.
  4. Lesson 3Propulsion Change ReviewChanging a propulsion component creates a new configuration.
  5. ReflectionWeek 4 Propulsion Evidence LogDo not summarize the propulsion lessons. Defend a configuration.

Week 05

  1. overviewWeek 05: Flight Controllers, Signals, and Wiring DisciplineThis week, you will build signal path trace for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not authorize real…
  2. Lesson 1Flight Controller as Signal HubThe flight controller is not the drone’s brain in the science-fiction sense.
  3. Lesson 2Power, Ports, and Configuration RecordsA connector that fits is not proof that a connection is correct.
  4. Lesson 3Signal Failure DiagnosisTroubleshooting gets faster when you stop asking, “What part is broken?”
  5. ReflectionWeek 5 Signal Evidence LogWeek 5 ends with a fault trace.

Week 06

  1. overviewWeek 06: Sensors, Calibration, and Payload ReadinessThis week, you will build sensor readiness checklist for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Sensors Measure, They Do Not KnowA sensor does not know altitude.
  3. Lesson 2Calibration and Mounting DisciplineCalibration is not a magic reset button.
  4. LabPayload Readiness ReviewA payload is ready when the data it produces can support the mission claim.
  5. ReflectionWeek 6 Sensor Evidence LogClose the hardware unit by defending one measurement system.

Week 07

  1. overviewWeek 07: Forces, Axes, and StabilityThis week, you will build flight force and axis trace for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Roll, Pitch, Yaw, and the Aircraft BodyBefore you can explain how an aircraft moves, you need a coordinate frame.
  3. Lesson 2Forces That Change MotionMotion changes when the net force is not zero.
  4. Lesson 3Hover Drift Diagnosis“Drone drifts left” is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
  5. ReflectionWeek 7 Flight Dynamics LogWeek 7 should leave you with a cleaner language for motion.

Week 08

  1. overviewWeek 08: Control Loops and Autopilot BehaviorThis week, you will build control-loop explanation trace for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Feedback Makes Autopilot PossibleAn autopilot is useful because it keeps checking whether reality matches the target.
  3. Lesson 2Targets, Error, and Correction LimitsA controller cannot command infinite correction.
  4. Lesson 3Altitude Hold Oscillation ReviewA controller can hit the target repeatedly and still be performing badly.
  5. ReflectionWeek 8 Control Evidence LogYour Week 8 log is a time-response review.

Week 09

  1. overviewWeek 09: Mission Software, Geofences, and FailsafesThis week, you will build mission logic and failsafe review for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Mission Commands Are Conditional LogicA waypoint mission is not a list of dots on a map.
  3. Lesson 2Geofences, Home Points, and Lost LinkA failsafe is only as good as the assumptions underneath it.
  4. Lesson 3Failsafe Assumption ReviewA failsafe is not a promise that the aircraft will become safe automatically.
  5. ReflectionWeek 9 Mission Logic LogYour Week 9 log is a state-machine and failsafe review.

Week 10

  1. overviewWeek 10: National Airspace and Authorization PlanningThis week, you will build airspace verification checklist for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Airspace Is a Mission ConstraintA clear patch of sky is not automatically available airspace.
  3. Lesson 2Authorization Is Not the Whole Safety PlanPermission to enter a piece of controlled airspace does not certify the rest of the mission.
  4. Lesson 3Airspace Verification ReviewA good airspace review should be reproducible.
  5. ReflectionWeek 10 Airspace Evidence LogYour Week 10 log is an authorization and source audit.

Week 11

  1. overviewWeek 11: Weather, Site, and Crew OperationsThis week, you will build site and crew readiness brief for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Weather Changes the Aircraft You Think You HaveA drone does not have one fixed performance envelope.
  3. Lesson 2Site Hazards and Crew RolesA mission site is not an empty coordinate on a map.
  4. Lesson 3Readiness Brief ReviewA readiness brief is where the mission either becomes boring—in a good way—or reveals the assumptions that were still hiding.
  5. ReflectionWeek 11 Operations Evidence LogYour Week 11 log should answer one question:

Week 12

  1. overviewWeek 12: Checklists, Emergency Planning, and DocumentationThis week, you will build checklist and incident-response packet for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does…
  2. Lesson 1Checklists Catch Human FailureA checklist is not proof that someone forgot how to do the job.
  3. Lesson 2Emergency Plans and Incident RecordsAn emergency plan is a decision you make before stress makes the decision harder.
  4. Lesson 3Checklist Failure ReviewA checklist can fail even when every box is checked.
  5. ReflectionWeek 12 Documentation LogYour Week 12 log is a procedure revision record.

Week 13

  1. overviewWeek 13: Photogrammetry FoundationsThis week, you will build photogrammetry evidence model for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Images Become Measurements Through GeometryOne aerial photograph is a picture.
  3. Lesson 2Overlap, Tie Points, and ScalePhotogrammetry needs the scene to repeat across images.
  4. Lesson 3Photogrammetry Claim ReviewThe easiest photogrammetry mistake happens after processing finishes.
  5. ReflectionWeek 13 Mapping Evidence LogYour Week 13 log is a claim-to-geometry trace.

Week 14

  1. overviewWeek 14: Data Capture Quality and Ground ControlThis week, you will build capture quality plan for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not authorize real…
  2. Lesson 1Capture Quality Starts Before the ButtonPhotogrammetry processing cannot recover detail that the camera never captured.
  3. Lesson 2Ground Control and Image Rejection RulesA mapping dataset gets stronger when two things are controlled deliberately:
  4. Lesson 3Image Set Quality ReviewA photogrammetry dataset should be reviewed before you trust the reconstruction.
  5. ReflectionWeek 14 Capture Evidence LogYour Week 14 log is an input-quality decision.

Week 15

  1. overviewWeek 15: Mapping Products, Reports, and Evidence LimitsThis week, you will build mapping product review report for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Map Products Are Decision ArtifactsA mapping product is useful because somebody intends to make a decision from it.
  3. Lesson 2Accuracy, Precision, and LimitationsA map can be precise-looking and inaccurate.
  4. Lesson 3Stakeholder Report ReviewA technical report fails when the reader cannot tell which statement is observation, which is measurement, which is interpretation, and which is recommendation.
  5. ReflectionWeek 15 Product Evidence LogYour Week 15 log is a stakeholder claim audit.

Week 16

  1. overviewWeek 16: Capstone Phase 1: Mission Need and System ConceptThis week, you will build capstone mission concept brief for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Mission Need Before Aircraft ChoiceThe fastest way to build a weak drone project is to start with the drone.
  3. Lesson 2Stakeholder, Product, and BoundaryA mission concept becomes useful when its boundaries are visible.
  4. Lesson 3Concept Brief ReviewA concept review is where a team finds expensive mistakes while they are still cheap.
  5. ReflectionWeek 16 Capstone Concept LogThis log records the design decision, not the amount of work you did.

Week 17

  1. overviewWeek 17: Capstone Phase 2: Mission Plan and Evidence PackageThis week, you will build capstone mission plan package for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not…
  2. Lesson 1Route Logic and Data RequirementsA route is not a drawing. It is a sequence of decisions that must produce the required evidence.
  3. Lesson 2Roles, Sources, and Artifact ControlA mission plan becomes unreliable when nobody knows who owns a decision or which version of the evidence is current.
  4. Lesson 3Mission Plan ReviewA mission plan review asks one question:
  5. ReflectionWeek 17 Capstone Plan LogThis log captures the moment your capstone changes from a concept into a controlled plan.

Week 18

  1. overviewWeek 18: Capstone Phase 3: Risk Review and DefenseThis week, you will build capstone defense dossier for a bounded Drone Engineering scenario. The work stays in classroom-safe analysis, supplied evidence, simulation, planning, and documentation. It does not authorize…
  2. Lesson 1Risk Matrix and Evidence StrengthThe final capstone is not a sales pitch for your mission.
  3. Lesson 2No-Go Criteria and Defense QuestionsA mission plan is not mature until the team can explain when not to execute it.
  4. Lesson 3Defense Dossier ReviewThis is the final engineering review before the capstone defense.
  5. ReflectionWeek 18 Capstone Defense LogThis is the final engineering record for the course.