While new legislation may have been a blow to South Africa’s burgeoning drone scene, there are still people doing interesting things in the space. You can now, for instance, learn to build and fly your own racing drone.
Cape Town-based maker hub Curiosity Campus is set to launch its first drone academy this July. The aim of the course is to allow students to build their own drone, learn to fly it, and then race it (we’re guessing the ultimate goal is to get as good as these guys). Once the course is done, participants will be able to take the drones home with them too.
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MIT graduate and drone entrepeneur James Paterson of Aerobotics will teach the four-part course and drone hobby supplier Flying Robot will provide the hardware and expertise.
“Drone technology presents fascinating opportunities in all kinds of industries, including branding, mining, conservation & agriculture as well as logistics (hello, pizza delivery drone!),”Curiosity Campus says in a press release sent to Memeburn. “South Africa, with its vast stretches of land and self-reliant startup community, has an unique opportunity to develop this technology to cater to our needs and perhaps, for the rest of the world as well. With new regulation around drone operation expected soon, we will also be covering the legal aspects of this technology”.
Registration for the course, which runs from 21 July to 1 August, is R8 500 for a single person (drone included) and R9 800 for two who would like to work together on a drone. There’s an additional cost of R2 500 for first person view goggles and camera.
