Empowering Students with Hands-On Learning: Pitsco’s Echo STEM Education Drone Enhances Skills through Safe UAV Operation and Coding
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
Kansas-based Pitsco Education recently unveiled their new Echo drone designed for the burgeoning STEM education market. As drones become a more prominent part of the economy, educating students on how to safely operate UAVs, then allowing them to pilot them via Block or Scratch coding, can help inspire a love for aviation and can teach valuable computer science skills, flight vocabulary, physics, and soft skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Filling the niche 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+, along with STEM clubs and competitions.
Weighing only 222 g and at smaller than 7×7 inches, the Echo is a compact unit that does not require FAA registration for use. Each drone includes an R/C controller in the box, making it a fully plug-and-play solution with a full flight time of 10 minutes, but the real learning begins once students begin using the bundled app (Tspeed 7) to begin coding flight paths using a simple drag-and-drop block-based interface. The Echo is specifically designed to be fully compliant for educational use, as well as meeting all the requirements for increasingly popular drone-based educational competitions like the SkillsUSA Commercial sUAS (Drone) Competition at a much lower entry cost than more expensive commercial units.
Important sectors like mineral exploration, construction, entertainment, marketing, aviation, agriculture, and the military are increasingly reliant on people who have the necessary skills to operate UAVs. Ensuring access by learners can help fill the needs of the market and prepare students for the workforce of the future.
More information on Pitsco’s new Echo drone is available here.
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Ian McNabb is a staff writer based in Boston, MA. His interests include geopolitics, emerging technologies, environmental sustainability, and Boston College sports
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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