The Hawkeye Drone Squad started practices in November with eight students from Hamady Middle/High School. Thanks to a grant from the REC Foundation, the team received three drones and two competition courses.
This year, the Drone Squad will compete in three REC Aerial Drone Competitions. The first event was at Kettering University, where the team gained valuable experience with schools from across Michigan. The second competition was on the west side of the state, and the third will be in Grandville. The students have been competing in three challenges: team collaboration, where they work with another school to score points; skills challenges, where they fly through an obstacle course in 60 seconds; and autonomous flight, where they program drones to fly on their own. Through this experience, our students are learning drone technology, coding, teamwork, and problem-solving while also getting exposure to a growing industry.
The biggest news is that the Drone Team has qualified for the Championship Tournament in May at Kettering University.