A veteran Air Force combat pilot is working to make drones and robotics accessible to students through the emerging sport of drone soccer.
The sport takes the typical after-school robotics club to the next level and may look slightly familiar to Harry Potter’s Quidditch. Thanks to Maj. Kyle Sanders, it is making headway in the western US.
Sanders got involved with the up-and-coming robotic sport after he separated from the Air Force. Sanders flew the C-130 in Iraq and Afghanistan after graduating from the Air Force Academy. He also is a trained pilot and previously instructed at the Air Force Academy. In all of his assignments, he worked in science outreach programs and wanted to continue this work. Drone soccer provided a unique opportunity to do so and he now serves as the vice president of U.S. Drone Soccer, which helps make drone soccer accessible to schools.