Pearson School students to join first-ever drone competition

WINSTED — Students at the Pearson School are participating in their firstever Robotics Education & Competition Foundation drone scrimmage, set for Saturday at 9 a.m. at Pearson.

The REC Foundation, according to its website, has a mission is to provide every educator with competition, education, and workforce readiness programs to increase student engagement in science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science.

Ten teams from across the state, including four teams from Pearson, are participating. “Teams have been learning about drones, flight principles, programming, and communication skills while expanding their understanding and building interest for STEM and drone-related career opportunities,” said Winsted Superintentend of Schools, Melony BradyShanley.

The REC Aerial Drone Competition Mission 2023: Blackout is played on a square field. In Piloting Teamwork Matches, two alliances, one red and

one blue, made up of two teams each, compete in 2minute pilot-operated matches.

“The object of Piloting Teamwork Matches in Mission 2023: Blackout is to attain a higher score than the opposing alliance by owning goals, scoring bonus balls, and ending the match on a landing pad or in the alliance blackout zone,” according to a statement from REC. “In Autonomous Flight Skills matches, a single team has 60 seconds of autonomous

drone operation to score points by lifting off, navigating through arch and keyhole gates, removing balls from the starting lane, and ending the match on a landing pad or in the alliance blackout zone.”

Students from the participating schools, created and coded all drone commands, and no pilots are alowed.

“It is an exciting opportunity see how hands-on, student- centered learning can spark interest in

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and computer science,” Brady-Shanley said.

The public is welcome; students will compete in the Pearson School gym.

For information about the event, contact Barbara Silverio, Principal of Pearson School, at Barbara.silverio@winchesterschools.org For more information REC Aerial Drone Competition Mission 2023 visit www.roboticseducation.org/aerial-drone-competition/

Emily M. Olson / Hearst Connecticut Media Students at the Isabelle M. Pearson School in Winsted are participating in a drone competition Saturday.