Drones in education – educational drones for all ages

Abstract

Small, affordable drones such as the DJI TelloEDU can be used as effective learning tools in technology education. A student from Oulu University of Applied Sciences did a project to explore possibilities for different skill and age levels by creating learning materials and assignments for drone tasks. Drones are used to support learning programming, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Activities range from simple Scratch-based exercises for children to advanced AI-driven navigation projects for university students. The work also introduced gesture and pose control systems, enabling human–drone interaction through real-time perception. The project highlights the value of integrating creativity, problem-solving, and technical understanding into education through hands-on, scalable technology. The materials and assignments produced during the project can be used in courses and events.