Drones in Electronics Engineering and AI-Driven Robotics Courses: Hands-on Lab Concepts

Drones are powerful tools for a plethora of applications ranging from photography to agriculture and disaster response. Ever-advancing progress in the fields of highly integrated circuits and Artificial Intelligence (AI) acts as a multiplier for the autonomous operation of drones and the expansion of their application. In the context of undergraduate- and graduate-level teaching of electronic and mechatronic engineering, drones provide a remarkably compact and engaging example relating its many different (sub)disciplines. However, integrating drones into courses may pose challenges such as risk of injury or equipment damage, high unit and laboratory equipment costs, and the steep learning curve of implementing a flying machine “from scratch”. Nevertheless, interaction with real-world devices is essential for student engagement and learning experience. This work proposes a set of lab concepts comprising technical and teaching solutions that aim at facilitating the integration of drones into these fields of teaching. Applying these solutions allows students to effectively keep pace with the rapidly advancing Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-related developments in their respective fields of study.