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End of Semester Report

Over the course of the past semester, I learned many new skills and talents in AT209. Sometimes things did not always pan out the way I thought they would, but that is a part of the skillset this course is trying to impress upon students. Expectations do not always equal reality, and the wiring and building of the Believer is a huge example of that. Coming into the course, I expected to be working on drones, and I expected to be learning primarily about flight control surfaces and drone construction. However, the actual semester varied slightly from my expectations because of the amount of electrical hardware and software meddling involved. This was a surprise to me, and a rather pleasant one, because this is a weak area for me in the realm of maintaining UAS.

As an overview of the semester, we completed many projects in a linear and logical fashion. First, we completed essential tasks like firmware flashing, DATX controller setups, and sensor configuration, and this allowed more complex and detailed tasks to be completed on top of a baseline construction. Also, we weaseled in a flight lab or two related to the NIST test course for drone pilots. This was a fun break. Then, we moved on to trouble shooting areas in which the labs did not work easily, or the technology did not cooperate with group ideas, which was a very helpful challenge in becoming better at problem solving with UAS. Lastly, we engaged in the building of the Believer aircraft, and while we did not complete this task, it was very interesting to get into. This will be completed in AT219, and I look forward to being proud of the final product. Setting the tools up, troubleshooting issues, and crafting a drone from scratch are all industry important skills for the modern operator to have because those are the tasks they will deal with on a daily basis. This is especially true of us as 219 students because we will have to fix things that break.

One of the major sticking points of the course content of this class was the idea of building something from scratch. This was a departure from what most students are used to, but it is very relevant and useful because that is how life will be like in industry. The main takeaway I got with starting from scratch is that it pays off to do things correctly the first time. This is because, unlike a pre-made project where everything has a starting point and only requires modification, blank slate projects must be built from the ground up. Therefore, there are no sources of materials to trust or build off of, and so it must be done correctly with attention to detail. This changed my understanding of real UAS workloads because I realized that one must build in time to troubleshoot, read manuals, and verify their work so that the product is sound and safe.

Technical learning was of great importance in this course, and many skills were acquired by students. It is first important to note that hardware installation and systems knowledge were at the forefront of my mind when writing about this, and they were some of the greatest skills I gained from this class. This primarily comes from having to reverse engineer a Believer’s electrical system, make a diagram about it, and then rewire it in person. This also applies to the firmware installation completed, which required the operator to know the program, perform the correct action, and ensure that the correct version was in use. In addition, troubleshooting was another major skill built upon in this course, and it is obvious that not everything was supposed to go correct in the first place with these labs. Nothing will work flawlessly in life, and how an operator reacts to and corrects issues with UAS is directly related to the success they will have in the industry. Lastly, teamwork was a major theme and skill built upon in this course, and it was a rocky road. At the start of the semester, not everyone knew each other, and things were difficult. Toward the end of the semester, each group member pulled their own weight and learned how to assist the success of the collective more and more. This made the work of the individual easier and the success of the group more attainable. This was especially true with the labs involving firmware flashing because one group could work on the hardware while the other group could complete the software tasks. This promoted good communication and efficiency between team members. I hope we can continue this theme with the new groups in AT219.

To be completely honest, not a whole lot surprised me during this class. I will say that the airframe assembly was much easier than I expected (even though my group did not complete it), and the firmware flashing took much more work than I had hoped. Nonetheless, the firmware flashing challenges proved to be the most educational troubleshooting tools because they allowed my group to develop efficient communication and workload management practices. We proved to each other that when the pressure got put on us, we were willing and able to adapt to the change and overcome the obstacles we faced. There were also some cool moments where things just “clicked.” I cannot exactly remember what the part was, but I remember several of my groupmates having “aha” moments during the wiring testing for the believer, as the electronics system was hard to understand in the initial stages. Another time this happened was when my group was setting up the wireless communication between the modem and my laptop. When we were able to send text messages back and forth between computers, we knew we had hit the jackpot. Moments like those are what kept us coming back.

There was a lot to be proud of an as involved student in the AT209 course. The skill I am the most proud of from this semester is my soldering, which I had to do for real in several scenarios. The other members of my group were not entirely confident with their skill level in the field of soldering, but I was able to rise to the challenge and make good soldering points on flight critical parts. This was a huge boost in my confidence, and other groups even complimented my work when seen up close. Similarly, I was very elated to have helped solve a problem with the setup of the airframe of the Believer. All groups, not just mine, did not know which set of servos to put in the wings and which to put in the tail. I was able to complete some reverse engineering of the example aircraft, and this allowed us to solve the mystery. Finally, I believe the best contribution I made to the efforts of this group project was my continual ability to work with Madison Baker to be the manual guidance and record keeper of these labs. Our ability to assume these roles opened others up to do other things, and while two groups worked on two different things, we could keep everything moving consistently and without missing steps.

Overall, this course affected my quality as a UAS operator in a very positive fashion. I would say that it has built my confidence considerably in the face of working with UAS hardware. This was a very hands-on class, and I was constantly applying new skills that I learned. As I progress into future courses and then a career in aviation, I am taking with me many skills as well as personality changes. The skills I am bringing in include working with software, working with hardware, and troubleshooting these items when things do not go according to plan. The personality changes I have acquired will allow me to be resilient in the face of adversity as well as communicate well with others when working in a team environment. Thinking of the big picture, the earlier courses in the UAS system here at Purdue University do a good job of preparing students to get their feet wet in regulations and safety protocols in this field, but AT209 allows them to get their hands dirty. This class is where professionals are made from amateurs, and it was during this semester that I felt I had the most improvement on my confidence as a UAS operator. I cannot wait to undergo further growth in AT219, an extension of this course.

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