The Quadgame

The drone workshop, “The Quadgame”, organized by the IET On Campus University of Peradeniya, marked a significant endeavor in fostering practical understanding and expertise in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology among engineering undergraduates. It was successfully held on the 26th of January 2024 from 9.00 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Drawing Office II, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya. This workshop was held with a focus on simulation, design, fabrication, and practical application. Also, this initiative embodies interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning, and industry-relevant skill development.

The workshop was conducted by Prof. Rohan Munasinghe, who is from the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He holds MEng and PhD degrees in Advanced Systems Control from Saga National University, Japan. He has conducted research at KAIST and secured grants from notable organizations like the National Science Foundation. With his expertise in Robotics, Control Systems, UAVs, and Autonomous Intelligent Systems, Prof. Rohan Munasinghe has authored publications and served as Chairman of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section. He established the first Spin-off company at the University of Moratuwa, advises government institutions, and delivers keynote speeches at prestigious conferences. As a special note, it should be stated that the participants had the privilege to join the workshop physically and free of charge, and nearly 50 participants were lucky enough to grab this great opportunity.

The workshop was planned to be in two sessions. A good explanation of the theories and technology was given during the first session and a practical demonstration of how to control a drone at the second session. Here, we discussed about:

• Designing techniques using CAD to design drone components

• Designing for Manufacturing (DFM) principles

• Drone simulation software

• Flight dynamics, control algorithms, and sensor integration

• Fundamentals of drone frame design, material selection, and manufacturing techniques

• 3D printing

• Seamless integration of software and hardware

• Testing protocols

The workshop culminated in a vibrant exchange of feedback and ideas, with participants offering appreciable insights and constructive suggestions for future iterations. The engaging Q&A sessions facilitated clarity on workshop content, further motivating participants to pursue their UAV knowledge. Most of the participants were eager to know more about this marvelous technology and how to mitigate the problems associated with it. Also, they cleared some doubts related to their final year projects related to the UAV technology. After every session, there were small Q and A sessions, which made the participants’ enthusiasm grow more. Finally, we were able to show how to control the drone in flight and see how they ensure the safety measurements. After all these theoretical as well as practical sessions, the guest resource person was appreciated, and the feedback was collected from the participants. From that, we saw that there were so many enthusiastic young undergraduates who were willing to follow the UAV technology but lacked the knowledge and assistance. Hence, we will be talking with our guest resource person and some potential organizations related to drone technology to find a solution to this massive problem.