Evolution of Capstone
From the very beginning, the core concept of my capstone project revolved around flight. At first I was planning on building a prototype “cockpit” that the user would sit in as if they were flying a real plane. With the use of an Oculus Rift and a realistic flight simulator, I was going to create an immersive experience that made the user feel as though they were actually flying. However, one day in class, as everyone talked amongst themselves, I sat there wondering if this would truly give me the sensation of flying, or if it would turn out as some gimmicky toy which I would never use. As if a lightning bolt pierced through the IMRC and struck me in the brain, I was electrified by a new, more immerisive, more impactful idea, the likes of which had never been attempted at the University of Maine. I would take a controversial technology that I was passionate about using, UAVs, and bring it into the spotlight, opening up the accessibility of this tech, as well as spreading the word about the potential positive benefits it could bring to every industry imaginable. Right there and then, UAVAcadeME was born.
But how? How do I get something like this off the ground. I had previous experience with UAVs, but I was certainly no professional. I began researching everything I could on how they worked, the different projects people were using them for, and the regulations, the vague, overbearing, and growth stunting regulations set forth by the FAA years ago. I decided I would create a group on campus that would allow students access to quality UAVs, teach them the safe and proper way to operate them, and when the students were well aware of the risks and rules about flying them, allow for free use of the technology, much like the CML does with cameras, so that innovation and creativity could meet. There was just one last thing I hoped to accomplish. I wanted to create a partnership with ASAP, New Media’s research and development group. If I could get them on board with the idea of using the UAV’s from UAVAcadeME to do research on involving micro-controllers and other sensors, the credibility of this project would fly through the roof, raising the probability of receiving funding. Umaine could start doing serious work with drones and their potential uses, and students from all fields of study would be able to experience this technology. With my ducks all lined up neatly in a row, I approached Mike Scott, head of ASAP at Umaine, thinking he would be intrigued by the idea. I was sadly mistaken. Instead of intrigue, I felt as though I was met with rudeness and disrespect. I was told the project had nothing to do with New Media, that I was wrong about several aspects regarding UAV regulations(which I was in fact correct about), and that Umaine was already doing enough with UAVs anyway.
I left Mike’s office completely dejected, wondering why someone in a position of authority like that would be attempting to put a student down, and how he didn’t see the obvious positive potential this project had. However, having come out the other side of the capstone process, I am extremely happy Mike acted and spoke the way he did, for if it wasn’t for that interaction, which I feel is the defining turning point in my capstone project, I probably would not have been as successful in completing this project as I have been. Now looking back at one of my first classes with Mike, I recall him focusing on “road-blocks” and how they are just as important to projects, if not more important, than successes. Perhaps Mr. Scott’s final lesson for me was having himself be that ‘road-block’ standing between me and my idea coming to fruition. If so, well played Mike. In a strange, twisted way, you’ve been an integral part of my capstone experience.
Moving on from my failure to make a partnership with ASAP, as well as other difficulties implementing UAVAcadeME such as proximity and financial struggles, I had another revelation, almost equally as important as the idea to work with UAVs. I would scale down from the University setting, and instead bring this technology to High Schools. This idea actually arose after I was thinking about how if I had been exposed to UAVs before college, perhaps I would have started out a New Media student, instead of switching from Chemistry one and a half years in. I approached the technology coordinator at Wiscasset High School, where I graduated from, and received a reaction I couldn’t have imagined. She was completely blown away and thrilled by the idea. After speaking with a few teachers, I knew that this was the true home for my project. I had gone full circle, and ended up right back where my education began. Surrounded by those that had watched me grow and support me, I was able to make this project more impactful than originally intended.
At first I had hoped to simply show people how to fly a UAV, then let them use it for their own projects. Although this is a nice and altruistic concept, there isn’t much information being transferred, other than how to move this robot in 3d space. Now, in the setting of a High School, I was given a much more structured framework I could work with. The goals transformed, instead, into teaching the actual science behind how these things fly. From gravity to wind resistance, amps vs. watts vs. volts, electrical and mechanical engineering, I started developing a rough lesson plan for a theoretical UAV class. All of a sudden the theoretical class became real. Students will learn the core concepts about how drones fly, learn how to build them using techniques such as wiring, soldering, and software engineering, and be given a clear overview of the current and upcoming rules and regulations governing the US airspace. I have been told there is funding available precisely for creating new STEM classes, and there are already several students signed up for this class, requiring the school to split it up into two sections, one in the fall and one in the spring. UAVAcadeME started as just a silent idea in my head, and through some struggle and adversity, I was able to find a useful and exciting place for it to blossom, manifesting itself into reality.
The Future
The future of my project looks incredible. With so much support from the Wiscasset High School I’ve already had to do a lot of brainstorming as far as where the next steps of this project will lead me. Depending on how the class turns out, more funding opportunities are available from one of the major UAV creators in the business, 3DRobotics. This company has pledged to help University and High School educators get their “”Drone programs” off the ground with funding, training, information and more. After verifying the success of integrating this class into the curriculum of the first pilot school, Wiscasset, I intend to spread out in the mid-coast area. Other schools will no doubt be interested in acquiring the same technology, and perhaps even use the framework of Wiscasset’s class in order to design their own. Of course, I will attempt to work with each school as they adopt UAVs into their classrooms, and hopefully create connections between each of the schools, allowing students to interact with other students from other schools, increasing innovation in the UAV sphere. The hope is that all projects developed by the High School Students will be posted to my UAVAcadeME website, creating a central hub for Maine UAV-based projects.
It’s pretty clear that my intentions are to create a career out of UAVs, and educating others about them is the first step. Since the Wiscasset High School wants to hire me to help teach this new course, I am already gaining credibility when it comes to UAVs. When the clear-cut rules and regulations are set forth by the FAA, I will be attempting to become certified in whatever capacity is necessary to operate UAVs commercially. This could lead me into many different industries, and hopefully I will be a pioneer of UAV use to all of them. But a potential career isn’t the only reason I continue this project. Surprisingly, I was truly able to spend my capstone class exploring a topic I was genuinely passionate about and intrigued by. I imagined how awesome it would have been for me to have access to this technology and information while I was in High School, and I was driven to make it a reality. Forget about making money, forget about getting a good grade in NMD499. Something inside me is compelling me to accomplish this goal. That inner drive and sense of self-worth is the reason I am continuing this project…And because UAVs are totally awesome!
Annotated Bibliography
Great source of information on different UAVs and how they work.
This site covered a lot about the laws and regulations concerning UAVs.
http://www.maineimaging.com/aerial-video/
A company in the town that I live which mentions their interest in using UAV tech, but notes that they will not until clear regulations are in place.
The FAA’s website which explains where the regulations are currently in place. A little difficult to sift through.
http://www.tested.com/tech/460662-testing-dji-phantom-vision-quadcopter-drone/
Tested is a great online source for info on new UAVs and they expanding tech that they are fitting into these machines.
