Designing and building remote-controlled drones and “Rover” vehicles may sound like the work of NASA scientists, but this summer, dozens of custom-made vehicles will come to life at the UAB School of Engineering’s Drone and Rover Academies. The school will be hosting several one-week summer camps this June and July for high-school-aged students. Participants at the camps will design and build their own remote-controlled vehicles before testing them against a series of obstacles.

Applications for the Drone and Rover Academies are open to students from ninth grade to graduating seniors who have an interest in engineering, robotics, or other STEM related disciplines.

The camp will be led by current UAB students and faculty.

“These camps will start by teaching some fundamentals before quickly ramping up to the design and build phase,” said Tim Wick, Ph.D., director of the Drone and Rover Academies. “We provide all the tools and equipment campers will need, and they’ll work with experienced engineering students—some of whom participated in these camps as high-school students.”

The suggested cost for attending the camp is a $100 donation per student. Payment is voluntary, however, and no student will be excluded if cost is a limiting factor.

“We believe strongly that this is a valuable experience that will help prepare students for the types of challenges they’ll face in a college curriculum,” said Wick. “It’s not just the application of science and math principles, but the camaraderie and teamwork campers experience is a positive outcome in itself.”

For specific dates and application information, please visit our Summer Camp Website.