Workshop on Fundamentals of Drone - Hands On Practice
27th - 28th February 2025
The Robotics Club and the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) at Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurugram organized a hands-on workshop on "Fundamentals of Drones – Hands-on Practice" on 27th and 28th February 2025. 1st and 2nd Year Students of all branches participated in the workshop. The speakers were Sushanth Jha – ECE Dept., Nikhil Yadav – ECE Dept., Ariyan Pal – EEE Dept., Chandan of ECE Dept. and Himanshu of EEE Dept. under the mentorship of Dr. R. Dheivanai (Faculty, DCE.)
The workshop aimed to provide students with practical knowledge of Drone Technology, Arduino Programming, and the Pluto module. The event was divided into four slots, each conducted for different student groups while maintaining the same content.
The hands-on-workshop was an informative session that provided a comprehensive overview of drone technology, applications, and future prospects. The workshop was designed for students to the fundamentals of drones and their real-world applications. It provided hands-on training in Arduino programming for drone control. It familiarized students with the Pluto module and its significance in drone operations. Also, the workshop enabled students to build and control drones through practical exercises.The workshop covered areas such as introduction to drones and their evolution; types and applications of drones; technical insights into drone components and flight dynamics; safety and regulatory guidelines for drone operations; live drone flying demonstration; future trends in drone technology and Quiz session.
Sushanth explained the meaning and classification of drones, evolution of drone technology, commercial, industrial, and military applications of drones. He also explained about Frame structure and materials, Flight controller, Motors, propellers, and ESC (Electronic Speed Controllers), Sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS) and Battery management systems.
He also explained about basics of microcontrollers and Arduino, writing rules of basic Arduino programs (C programming fundamentals), configuring Arduino for drone communication and Sensor interfacing and calibration using Ultra sonic, Humidity and IR Sensors. Thereafter, hands on practice with different sensors and Arduino were handled by Chandan and Ariyan.
Then, Nikhil Yadav introduced Pluto Module with its features and functionalities, communication protocols (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Radio), understanding the Pluto Drone SDK and programming the Pluto Drone with Blockly programming method. Afterwards, he explained connecting Pluto Drone with a laptop/mobile and writing and modifying drone commands as well as debugging and troubleshooting errors.
During hands on practice, Nikhil and Chandan gave live flight demonstration in terms of testing the programmed drones, performing basic maneuvers (take-off, hovering, directional movement, and landing). Also, they briefed about the safety measures while handling drones.
Sushanth provided an in-depth explanation of drone dynamics and Arduino programming. Nikhil handled the Pluto Module, making the session interactive with real-time demonstrations. Chandan guided students during the hands-on session, ensuring smooth practical implementation.
By the end of the two day workshop, participants were able to program, calibrate, and control drones independently. A live flight demonstration was conducted, which was highly appreciated by the participants. At the end of each session, a quiz was conducted through My Quiz app, based on the workshop content.
Benefits/Outcome:  Participants gained hands-on experience in assembling, operating, and troubleshooting drones.