CDE1302 Introduction to UAVs: From Basics to Autonomous Missions

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), covering mechanical design, electrical systems, electronics, and software integration. In the course, students will learn how to build their own UAVs from scratch, gaining practical experience in mechanical assembly, wiring electronics, and programming flight control systems. Students will also learn the basics of autonomy for UAVs such as waypoint navigation and object detection. At the end of the course, students will use their UAVs to execute a fully autonomous mission, demonstrating skills in flight control, sensor integration, and mission planning.

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Understand the fundamentals of UAV systems (mechanical, electrical, electronics, and software).
  • Design and assemble a small UAV.
  • Implement basic flight control and autonomous navigation.
  • Execute a simple autonomous mission (e.g. waypoint navigation, object detection).

Workload: 4 units (letter-graded)

Note: This course is offered only to Year 1 and Year 2 students who are interested in working on UAV-related projects in subsequent years.

Course syllabus

Introduction to UAV systems:

  • UAV types and applications
  • Overview of UAV architecture
  • Safety and regulatory considerations

Aerodynamics and mechanical design:

  • Principles of flight
  • Frame design and material selection
  • Propeller and motor sizing basics

Powertrain:

  • Battery types and specifications
  • Current and voltage requirements
  • Power distribution board (PDB)
  • Electronic speed controller (ESC)
  • Motor-ESC calibration

Avionics:

  • Basic sensors
  • Sensor fusion
  • Flight controller
  • Radio transmitters and receivers
  • Telemetry modules
  • Basics of wireless protocols
  • System architecture

Software:

  • Software stack
  • Flight control algorithms
  • Programming for UAVs

Basics of autonomous flight:

  • Obstacle detection
  • Object detection
  • Waypoint generation and navigation

Workload hours

This course will adopt a practice-oriented mode of teaching and learning. The hands-on and experiential learning will include the following elements:

  • Lectures to introduce key UAV subsystems and functions.
  • Labs to build hands-on experience for designing and implementing different UAV subsystems and functions.
  • A final project which integrates different UAV subsystems and functions to perform an autonomous mission.
Activity Number of hours per week
Lecture classes 2
Lab classes 3
Projects/assignments 3
Preparatory work 2

Key assessment components

Component Weightage (%)
Class participation 10
Hands-on lab assignments 40
Group project 50

Note: there is no final exam for this course.