Students Fly into STEM Careers with Drone Competition

The 'Welcome to the Jungle!' drone competition is one of NXP's latest efforts in bringing together bright minds to create breakthrough technologies that make the connected world better, safer and more secure. The pioneering competition kindles the interest of students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) by expanding their knowledge in designing and flying programmable drones. It was designed for and by students with the support of the NXP UK STEM team based in Glasgow.

Moments of Inspiration

Back in 2020, Jeff Loeliger, a systems engineer for automotive processors at NXP, had an idea to get more students interested in STEM. Two years later, four fourth-year secondary school (S4) students from Dalziel High School in Motherwell took on the project, working together with the NXP UK STEM team. They volunteered on Friday afternoons to collaborate with new graduates and experienced NXP engineers. Together, they developed a competition for local secondary schools based on flying programmable drones.

The first edition of the competition took place on May 31^st in Glasgow after months of challenging work and meticulous preparation. NXP welcomed 34 students (aged 13-14 years) and teachers from 7 local secondary schools to compete in the competition. Showcasing their creativity, the young tech enthusiasts put their technical skills to the test.

The Challenge: Run Through the Jungle

The participating schools had received their special drone kits only six weeks before. Their challenge was to program the drone to navigate a tricky, three-dimensional obstacle course. Each team had three attempts to navigate the jungle-themed course filled with artificial leaves, rocks and even "wild" animals. This allowed them to refine their programming skills between each attempt to pass more obstacles. The students were also tasked with completing the course in reverse order with only 15 minutes of additional programming time, testing their initiative and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, individual drone flying skills together with communication and team strategy were evaluated with the Lego^® search and rescue mission. Using a magnet suspended from the bottom of the drone allowed the pilots to hover over the hidden Lego figures to lift them to safety.

During lunch, the participants discussed careers within the semiconductor industry with NXP team members while viewing demonstrations of some innovative technologies. Andy Birnie, Country Manager NXP UK, commented, "Witnessing their eagerness to learn, collaborative spirit and creative solutions reaffirms the immense potential of our youth. Many thanks to everyone in the NXP UK STEM team, our engineers and the four S4 students from Dalziel High School in Motherwell for devising and implementing the challenge.”

First Winners Announced, More to Come

At the end of a thrilling day, St Andrew's and St Bride's High School from East Kilbride took home the 3D printed NXP Welcome to the Jungle trophy. “It is through programs like this that we continue to encourage the next generation of innovators and problem solvers who will shape the future of our industry and create a positive impact on society," Andy concluded.

The ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ competition was rolled out to schools local to the NXP Semiconductors office in Glasgow. Schools from South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Glasgow City Council participated, bringing a diverse mix of students from many social and educational backgrounds. The possibilities of rolling out the competition nationally throughout Scotland are currently being explored. NXP believes that introducing young adults to STEM activities such as this will support the company in finding innovative and enthusiastic talents.

Click here to find out more about the STEM initiatives NXP coordinates around the world.