WESLACO — They’re not just flying drones here.
During the first week of the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation’s summer drone camp, Rio Grande Valley students learned a great deal about the history of the unmanned aircrafts and their many functions.
But it was the programming aspects involved in drone operations that the instructors from CODE RGV stressed above all.
On Wednesday, attendees performed simulated exercises designed to introduce them to basic programming. These simulations included hands-on lessons on how to send commands to a drone via a MacBook application.
Marisol Ortiz, a 16-year-old Edinburg High student, was among those who participated.
“Programming is a lot of trial and error, and it takes a while to figure out,” she said after noting the camp’s additional components. “I’ve learned some history about aircraft, the different type of drones they’ve built and just the basics of programming a drone. I’m interested in pursuing the career of engineering, and I’m involved in other camps.”
Her father, 36-year-old Francisco Ortiz, said he also learned much from the lessons.
“I didn’t know there were drones in 1960; I thought it was a thing like 10 years ago,” he said. “So we learned the first actual drone was actually built in 1960, and it was for military purposes. That’s a good thing that she’s getting this history and seeing how history is a building block to future innovations and technology.”
A three-week course accommodating as many as 80 students from throughout the Valley, the drone camp will run through Aug. 18 and is being held in partnership with the EDC, the City of Weslaco and CODE RGV. About 20 students participate in each session.
In addition to programming, sessions will also focus on aeronautics, FAA safety regulations, drone assembly and beginner flight skills. Instructors from CODE RGV include Program Director Irene Wazgowska, Alex Gutierrez and volunteer Javier Ortiz.
According to Ortiz, the programming concepts involved in the camp’s instruction are largely fundamental.
“It is a lot like scratch programming, kind of like Lego blocks where you have puzzle pieces that you have to put together to make something work — that’s what they’re going to be learning,” Ortiz said, adding that different programming languages will be included in the lessons. “That’s the best way to start. They’re going to be learning how to program the drones, fly them and get commands to the drones. It involves a little bit of everything when it comes to drones, and we have plenty of activities for them, but it’s most importantly to help them learn about programming. That’s the main goal.”
