Students build and keep a professional robotics kit, including a robot car and an autonomous drone, and write real Python code for practical, portfolio-ready projects.
The Research Ignited - AI Robotics & Autonomous Drone Lab is a live, online program where middle and high school students engage in hands-on robotics, AI, and drone projects. Students build and code with a professional robotics kit, including a SunFounder PiCar-X AI robot car with Raspberry Pi and a CoDrone EDU, which they keep after the course. The curriculum focuses on writing real Python code to control robots, sensors, electronics, and autonomous drones, rather than using drag-and-drop blocks. Key activities include programming an autonomous obstacle avoider using sensors, developing a smart vision sorting bot with computer vision (OpenCV) to recognize and react to objects, and writing autonomous flight logic for a drone to perform tasks like search patterns. The program emphasizes a project-based learning approach, fostering a debugging mindset as students diagnose and fix issues with their hardware and code. Upon completion, students will have built three portfolio-ready projects and earned a Research Ignited certificate, providing a strong foundation in Python, AI, and robotics for future academic and career pursuits.
A typical day involves live, small-group sessions with instructor-led guidance, focusing on project-based learning. Students will engage in coding with Python, building and testing their robots and drones, and troubleshooting any issues that arise.
This program is best for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) with no prior experience in coding or robotics, who are eager to learn Python, AI, and robotics through hands-on projects and keep the hardware they build.
Virtual Camp
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