The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has launched a new program, UAS4STEM, which provides unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) training through a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based platform.
According to AMA, the program will provide student teams of four to eight people with training, insurance, licensing and equipment to compete in search-and-rescue challenges. Kits for the program will be available in the fall. The program will be managed by AMA’s education team as part of AMA Flight School.
Much like robotics programs currently available to middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities, the UAS4STEM program will allow students to learn while they have fun and work as a team, says AMA.
For the first year of competition, the challenge will be a search-and-rescue mission, where the students have been called upon to provide rapid UAS response to locate a small group of missing hikers in a remote area.
To get started, all students will be required to complete an online curriculum on multi-rotor safety. After they have passed, the complete UAS kit will ship. Students must then build the aircraft and test-fly it.
Competitions will be held at AMA flying sites in spring 2016. The cost for the team is $1,995, which includes licenses for each student, a Quadzilla quadcopter kit, all necessary support equipment (except a laptop computer), a full online curriculum, an online video series, AMA memberships for the students, and competition entry fees.
More information, including registration, can be found here.
