SkyBot 3D printed drone soars into U.S classrooms

For many modern schools, affording drone and robotics equipment in the classroom is simply impossible. Many drone and robotics kits designed for the classroom can still cost hundreds of dollars per student. Additionally, equipment like 3D printers may be dropping in price, but the cost of having someone trained on site to work and maintain them also needs to be considered for most schools. That means if teachers want to bring STEM technologies into the classroom, they have to do so out of their own pocket. However, the recently launched SkyBot 3D printed drone kickstarter campaign is looking to address that problem. 

SkyBot is a small, 3D printed drone kit that will walk students, or even interested adults, through the concepts of basic drone and robotics construction. The kit will help students understand the fundamentals of drone lift and develop practical aerodynamic experience using real electronic components and parts. All of the SkyBot drone software, fabrication and development was done from scratch to make sure that it was easy to use and build while still being an enriching educational experience.

“When we began working on SKYBOT, our goal was to make a hands-on drone learning platform for both students and professional engineers. This meant making SKYBOT small and lightweight, yet durable enough to take with you anywhere. Intelligent enough so no piloting skills were required, and most of all, pricing SKYBOT at a point that makes it affordable,” explained SkyBot Head of Marketing Freddie Hernandez.

Early Bird backers of the Kickstarter campaign can get a full drone kit with everything that is needed to construct it for a $64 contribution, to start. That includes the 3D printed frame, the control board and microcontroller, the quad motors, replaceable Geo-Blades, a battery and charger box and easy to follow assembly instructions. Everything has been designed so there is no soldering required to assemble and wire the drone. It will also include sample codes that will allow the drone to automatically perform flips and tricks.

The campaign is only looking to raise $6,400 to start a small production run of the SkyBot and will be running for about another two months or so.