by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNabb
Kansas-based Pitsco Education recently unveiled their recent Echo drone designed for the burgeoning STEM education market. As drones grow to be a more distinguished a part of the economy, educating students on how you can safely operate UAVs, then allowing them to pilot them via Block or Scratch coding, may also help encourage a love for aviation and may teach invaluable computer science skills, flight vocabulary, physics, and soft skills similar to communication, collaboration, critical pondering, and problem-solving. Filling the area of interest recently vacated by the discontinued DJI educational series of UAVs, the durable Echo is designed for indoor flight and is targeted at learners grades 6-12+, together with STEM clubs and competitions.
Weighing only 222 g and at smaller than 7×7 inches, the Echo is a compact unit that doesn’t require FAA registration to be used. Each drone includes an R/C controller within the box, making it a totally plug-and-play solution with a full flight time of 10 minutes, but the true learning begins once students begin using the bundled app (Tspeed 7) to start coding flight paths using an easy drag-and-drop block-based interface. The Echo is specifically designed to be fully compliant for educational use, in addition to meeting all the necessities for increasingly popular drone-based educational competitions just like the SkillsUSA Business sUAS (Drone) Competition at a much lower entry cost than costlier industrial units.
Essential sectors like mineral exploration, construction, entertainment, marketing, aviation, agriculture, and the military are increasingly reliant on individuals who have the needed skills to operate UAVs. Ensuring access by learners may also help fill the needs of the market and prepare students for the workforce of the long run.
More information on Pitsco’s recent Echo drone is on the market here.
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