We fly high, no lie, we dronin’

We fly high, no lie, we dronin’

This week was a major step for us; we flew our drone! Before we could fly, Fred taught us a few drone safety tips. During takeoff, we learned it is important to make sure all spectators are behind the “flight line.” Next, the pilot must say “clear props” to let...
Taking Flight

Taking Flight

For Galen and Zach, the physics majors in the group, flying the drone came with ease. It took a few flights of trial and error for them to get the UAV to fly exactly how they wanted, but within minutes they had it flying around the room, landing on different...
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

http://sites.jmu.edu/jmudroneschallenge/files/2015/10/Emergency-Reponse_-Week-8-1.m4v Well, this week was different. No more brainstorming, no more planning and theorizing–we took those drones for a test run…or test flight if you’re picky! Last week really...
Coming Back For More

Coming Back For More

You can fall down seven times as long as you get up eight. Landmine detection, (aka “Mine Sweeper”), has had a few, and by a few I obviously mean a plethora, of failed attempts before we found a solid goal, plan, and prototype.  At week one we were given a drone that...
“Just Adjust Your Sails”

“Just Adjust Your Sails”

“When you can’t change the direction of the wind, just adjust your sails.” –H. Jackson Brown Jr. No, we haven’t switched our topic to an aquatic theme! But the idea behind this quote was a prevalent theme for our team this week. Last week Landes, one of our Physics...