A two-day remote drone programming class connecting Tokyo and Osaka online was held for elementary and junior high school students, featuring Scratch programming for drone takeoffs, landings and forward and backward movement, as well as relay-style competitions.
On 29 and 30 August 2026, venues in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture, and Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, were connected online for a remote drone programming class co-hosted by KDDI Smart Drone and KDDI. Students from fifth grade of elementary school through third year of junior high school took part, learning about the role of drones in society and the basics of programming, while also working with teammates in remote locations to take on a drone relay.
During the class, the students practised controlling drones by combining basic operations such as takeoff, landing, forward movement and backward movement through block-based programming using Scratch. Demonstration flights using actual drones were also included. The children reportedly cheered when the drones moved according to programs they had created themselves, gaining firsthand experience of how the operations worked.
In the second half, the children from Tokyo and Osaka were placed in mixed groups for a drone race. They aimed for the finish while communicating online, and points were also awarded for the accuracy of landings via drone ports. In the second race, the students incorporated flashing red lights and buzzer sounds into the operations, taking on more advanced challenges.
Feedback from participants and their parents was positive, with some saying they had gained a renewed appreciation of the importance of opportunities to experience such activities close to home and of collaboration. KDDI said it will continue working to expand learning opportunities beyond regional boundaries through the promotion of digital transformation in education and remote STEAM classes.