David Roberts, president of US Drone Soccer, smiles when I tell him that after watching YouTube videos of drone soccer games, he thinks of it as “robot Quidditch.”
“We know that people have begun to understand how the game is played when they compare it to Quidditch,” says Roberts.
This high-tech aerial sport can now be found in 28 states across the country. Drone football involves student-piloted drones competing against each other in an indoor stadium. The sport fosters a variety of STEM skills in students and helps prepare them for potential future careers in the aviation industry.
Here you will find everything you need to know about drone football.
What is drone football?
Drone football was invented in 2016 by Drone researchers and enthusiasts at CAMTIC Institute of technology, based in Jeonju, South Korea. The sport is now played around the world and has grown exponentially in the U.S. over the past two and a half years, since the US Drone Soccer organization that promotes it started programs at four Colorado schools.
“We are now in over 240 schools across the United States,” Roberts says.
The game looks like a sci-fi battle. It is played indoors or outdoors inside a “drone arena” of about 20m x 10m. Matches consist of three sets. Students on each team pilot drones that fly about 3 meters above the ground. The “striker” is the only player on each team who can score. The striker does so by flying his drone through a circular goal post placed about 3 to 3.5 meters above the ground. The other players assist their striker in scoring and try to prevent the opposing team’s striker from scoring.
What are some of the skills that drone football teaches kids?
Dr. Robert Mayben uses drone football with educators and students as part of his role as a motion technology specialist at the University of Alabama/University of West Alabama Inservice Center, which provides professional development opportunities for educators in 13 Alabama school districts.
“One of the best things about drone football is that it’s fun,” he says. “I don’t have to teach them how to use Excel or Google Sheets or anything like that. I can make something tangible and fun for the kids.”
But while the fast-paced competition is fun, it offers much more than that. “It teaches them not only flying skills, but also collaboration and engineering,” says Mayben.
Roberts says these kinds of lessons are at the heart of US Drone Soccer. “Our mission is to inspire students to pursue an education and career in the aerospace and science sectors by offering a hierarchy of competitions and events that highlight student skills and teamwork and leadership in engineering and aviation,” he says.
How accessible is drone football?
At first glance, the sport seems expensive, but US Drone Soccer and its industry partners are dedicated to making it more accessible. Michelin Inflatable Solutions, a subsidiary of Michelin, has partnered with US Drone Soccer to provide educators across the United States with inflatable drone stadiums. These are easy to transport and lightweight. Mayben uses one of these portable drone stadiums for his drone soccer demonstrations in Alabama.
Anne-Frédérique Salit, CEO of Michelin Inflatable Solutions, says Michelin partnered with US Drone Soccer because inflatable drone soccer stadiums support diversity and inclusion in STEM education. “We believe that technology is inherently inclusive,” she says. She adds that drone soccer can encourage women and students of all backgrounds to get involved in STEM activities.
What if an educator wants to involve their school or district?
DroneSoccer.us Roberts says the program has all the resources educators who want to start a drone football program might need. The process will include a variety of steps, including professional development for the educators who will lead the project. Additionally, leaders of a school’s drone football program must find a space that will fit the inflatable drone arena, but that’s not particularly difficult in most school settings.
“It will fit in any school gymnasium or multipurpose room,” Roberts says.
Mayben adds that educators should also keep the goal in mind during the process. Remember, drone soccer is a sport and a hands-on activity that kids can participate in, but it can open up a variety of STEM-related opportunities.
“There are a lot of jobs available for drones,” he says. “In drone football, they can get the experience of flying a drone. They can complete the curriculum and get their drone license, and they can come out of high school prepared for a professional career.”
