One interesting new topic that has hit the headlines recently (and our Year 12 Applied Information Technology course) is the subject of drones in society. Not military drones that exist just to kill people; civilian drones that can be used commercially or for recreation. For example, you may have seen on the news about the ambulance drone that flies to the aid of heart attack victims with an on-board defibrillator - much faster than a traditional ambulance could get there. The drone operator can see and talk to the person assisting the patient, giving instructions on what to do until the paramedics arrive. A brilliant application of this new technology indeed, although there are so many more great things these drones can do.

Civilian drone application is certainly an engaging and relevant topic for students, and the technology behind it such as GPS and high definition film making is something that they WANT to learn. After all, engagement and motivation along with a focus on technology are some of Clarkson's top educational priorities.  So the Technology and Enterprise department decided to invest in one of these drones to a) showcase the technology and incorporate it into our IT and photography curriculum and b) provide a fantastic asset for the school in terms of media and marketing productions.

Our drone is fitted with a full HD 1080p video camera that can also shoot stills at 14 megapixels. It has full GPS capability, meaning it can lock onto satellites and knows exactly where it is at all times. This allows it be programmed to fly via GPS way points around an area, taking off and landing completely autonomously. A group of technology minded staff tested the autopilot recently and nearly fell over in amazement at how well it landed itself, right on the spot it took off from. Incredible! It can also be flown completely manually, of course, and the camera can be operated remotely via a smartphone app, which means the school will be able to shoot action from rugby or soccer matches from above, take it on excursions and make some very professional-looking marketing material (which we will be doing soon). For such a relatively small investment the possibilities are endless, or should I say "the sky is the limit".

Keeping with the advanced technology theme, we’ve already been busy using our 3D printers to manufacture some propeller guards that clip on the drone to prevent damaging the aircraft and, of course, people. One staff member also designed and printed a clever clip-on sun visor for the controlling smartphone so you can see the screen in sunlight when you’re operating the drone’s camera. This sort of 3D design, prototyping and manufacturing to solve problems is another engaging methodology that technology students at Clarkson will be taking on this year in their curriculum with our 3D printers.

With all this amazing technology at hand, keep you're eye out for some interesting video productions made by students and staff alike coming soon to this site.

Here is a flight video that we took this week:

http://youtu.be/5AICvBjflow

The school takes safety and privacy very seriously. We will certainly not be flying low over local residences invading the privacy of the public, nor will we be taking risks with the safety of the community or our students.  Only trained staff will be allowed to pilot the drone and only when it is deemed safe and appropriate to do so. Please note there are many members of the public that own this type of drone that may do otherwise.