World leading drone maker DJI’s newly installed education division has unveiled a new product for students to have fun with in the classroom.

It is called the RoboMaster TT Tello Talent drone.

Succeeding the Tello EDU, DJI claim the new kid on the block will possess everything good about its predecessor but with more “powerful hardware, along with a new swarming software for one-click seamless swarming capabilities with increased stability.

Named the Tello Talent to enhance and amplify students’ talent and skills in robotics, new educational drone aims to lower the barrier of entry into robotics and AI technology through a fun toy drone, user-friendly, intuitive app and an exclusive curriculum system for students of all levels, DJI says.

Small drones have become of favourite tools used by students use in coding class. In Southern Africa, the Inspire Africa Group, has been using the Tellos to acquaint thousands of its young students dotted across the region to both coding and drone technology.

“We’re thrilled to be adding not only a new product but an entire educational support system to our roster of education innovation,” said Jianrong Gao, Head of DJI Education. “As we continue to expand DJI Education, we hope to provide the new and impactful tools and hardware for teachers to excite the next generation of tech innovators.

“The RoboMaster TT was specifically designed to appeal to students while cultivating knowledge in AI robotics, programming in a fun, easily digestible and hands-on time which is crucial for applying real world knowledge.”

According to the manufacturer, the TT is equipped with a powerful ESP32 microcontroller board to provide Arduino and MicroPython open-source coding platforms that supports Arduino, MicroPython and Scratch offline coding. Students can see their coding come to life, by writing custom codes to change the colours and flash frequency of the TT’s programmable RGB 256 all-colour LED light or create simple shapes, animations and letter scrolling effects on the 8X8 Red and Blue LED dot matrix screen fitted on the TT.

“The drone also has an added single infrared time of flight (TOF) sensor, similar to that found in the RS2, Inspire 2 and Mavic 2 Pro, which offers distance detection up to 1.2 meters,” said the company in a statement. “The TOF sensor enables environment detection and simple obstacle avoidance, making it safe to fly in a classroom.”

Alongside the TT will be DJI Education, a new software platform hub created for educators and teachers to easily incorporate in their curriculum, is now available.

“The hub is user-friendly one-stop-shop for all things STEAM related compete with a web-accessible platform, classroom management system, machine-graded exams, discussion forums and curriculum resources. Teachers can also assign homework, host online competitions and even incorporate DJI’s powerful simulator into their program to engage and test students on their knowledge in a fun and exciting way. The hub also supports compatibility with third party resources to expand even more educational options.”

Founded in 2020, DJI Education first started in Australia, providing students in the country with more opportunities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) industries, and aiding to incorporate cutting-edge technology into student learning and STEAM education curricula.

DJI committed an initial investment in the form of donation, cash prices, subsidies, marketing funds and sponsorships to drive the first round of the education campaign at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). DJI Education is now making a global presence, working with schools to provide the same opportunities to students across the globe.

DJI has invested in robotics education since 2013 with the introduction of its first robotics university summer camp. In 2015, DJI hosted its first RoboMaster, which has since gained immense popularity among the engineering community; providing a world stage for university students to pursue their passion for science and technology while showcasing their talent.

In 2018, DJI announced the Tello EDU, with the RoboMaster S1 and EP Core following in 2019 and last year respectively.