The latest student-led JROTC project focuses on racing quadcopters through obstacle courses and collaborating with teammates.
Quadcopters are unmanned aerial vehicles with propellers that provide lift and propulsion for flight. They are a type of drone often used for surveillance in countless industries, such as the military.
Members sign up through their involvement in JROTC and assemble the drones by searching through the parts provided and piecing them together with a manual. Students then fly their products, learning how to maintain stability and control of aircraft.
The team was formed by accident, through a spontaneous discovery in a closet. Senior and First Lieutenant of JROTC, Bruce Eich, came up with the idea.
“When we were cleaning out the closet we found all these [drone parts],” Eich said. “So I came up with some ideas and put this [team] together.”
The team hosts in-class competitions to practice controlling the aircraft. Competing involves performing timed routines and maneuvering flight on drones. Students are then judged based on speed and craftsmanship.
“You set up a course with some flags and obstacles and navigate around them in a certain amount of time,” Eich said. “The better the time, the better the placement.”
With the help of Colonel Moulten, the JROTC teacher, Eich planned and assembled the team.
“To me, it’s just a fun hobby, something that we get to do, a privilege that we get to do in study,” Eich said.
Quadcopters allow students to develop skills in STEM, such as teamwork, resilience and public safety awareness. Members like junior Braxton Bischoff enjoy collaborating with peers.
“I love working with my friends, and doing hands-on stuff,” Bischoff said. “I wanted to be a pilot in the US Air Force… I have family members in the military and I thought this was a fun thing to do.”
Eich plans on expanding the quadcopter team to other schools to keep the team challenged through competition. With technology continuing to advance, competing helps the team continue to upgrade their material.
“Maybe we can expand this to a legitimate club so we can have more diverse students, more drones, better drones, like planes, RC cars.” Eich said. “You never know where it could go.”
