Program | CyberTraining for UAS

Instructors

Dr. Junfei Xie – jxie4@sdsu.edu
Dr. Shengli Fu – shengli.fu@unt.edu
Dr. Yan Wan – yan.wan@uta.edu
Dr. Kejie Lu – kejie.lu@upr.edu

Office Hours

Dr. Xie: June 26, July 1, July 3 (2–3 PM PT) – Zoom link
Dr. Wan: June 17, 19, 24 (1–2 PM CT) – Meeting ID: 240 753 391 30, Passcode: miSFLN, Team Link
Dr. Fu: June 16, 18, 23 (2–3 PM CT) – Zoom link
Dr. Lu: June 25, 30, July 2 (2–3 PM AST) – Google Meet

Google Classroom

Program Description

In recent years, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—commonly known as drones—have seen unprecedented growth in their use and capabilities across a wide range of sectors, including environmental monitoring, disaster response, agriculture, logistics, and defense. Despite significant technological progress, critical challenges remain in realizing the full potential of UAS, particularly in areas such as autonomy, scalability, and cooperative operation.

The UAV Navigation & Guidance Trainee Program has been designed specifically to address this need. Targeted at students and early-career professionals, the program provides participants with essential technical, theoretical, and hands-on training in modern UAV systems. Through a combination of online coursework and immersive in-person experiences, the program empowers trainees to engage with real-world UAV technologies and prepare for future research and development roles in this rapidly evolving field.

📘 Program Structure

The UAV Navigation & Guidance Trainee Program is organized into four core modules, each focused on a foundational area of UAS technology:

Module 1: Control of UAS – Covers UAV dynamics, single/multi-UAV control strategies, and antenna control.
Module 2: Communication and Networking – Introduces wireless communication principles, modulation techniques, UAV networking protocols, and system integration.
Module 3: Computing (Edge/Cloud/Cybersecurity) – Focuses on onboard computing architectures, virtualization techniques, distributed computing, and mobile edge computing.
Module 4: Artificial Intelligence – Explores AI integration in UAVs, from basic machine learning models to federated learning, with emphasis on real-world applications in autonomy and perception.

Each module blends theoretical instruction with hands-on projects.

📅 Program Format

🖥 Online Training Phase

Dates:

Delivered asynchronously over three weeks
Each module includes 5–6 submodules, each with a required quiz due on the day of release
Participants complete a total of 5 graded assignments due the next day of release
Weekly group research and presentation projects on emerging UAS topics promote collaboration and in-depth exploration

🛫 Onsite Training Phase

Dates:

Location:

Offers immersive, in-person experiences with UAV hardware, flight testing, and UAS-based hands-on projects
Includes collaborative team exercises, real-world demonstrations, and mentorship from UAS experts

🎯 Learning Objectives

Acquire foundational knowledge in UAV control, communication systems, and networking protocols
Develop hands-on skills in real-world UAV operation, simulation, and testing
Understand the role and implementation of edge computing and AI applications in UAV systems
Join a collaborative community of students, educators, and researchers driving innovation in aerial autonomy

🖥️ Tentative Online Training Schedule

Date	Day	Activities	Assignment
Week 1: June 16 – June 20
6/16	Mon	Program Introduction over Zoom Complete M0: Introduction to UAS	–
6/17	Tue	Complete M1.1: Fundamentals of Control CompleteM2.1: Wireless Communications and Channels	Assignment 1 on Wi-Fi (Due 6/18)
6/18	Wed	Complete M1.2: UAV Dynamics and Control Complete Complete M2.2: Digital Modulation	–
6/19	Thu	Complete M1.3: Advanced Controls and Uncertainity Complete M1.3: Computer Networks and the Layered Models	Assignment 2 on DNS (Due 6/20)
6/20	Fri	Group presentations on “UAS Industry Overview” over Zoom	–
Week 2: June 23 – June 27
6/23	Mon	Complete M1.4: UAV Directional Antenna Control Complete M2.4: Cellular and Mobile Networks	Assignment 3 on UAV Control (Due 6/24)
6/24	Tue	Complete M1.5: Other UAV control topics Complete M2.5: Wi-Fi Networks	–
6/25	Wed	Complete M3.1: Introduction to SBC's Complete M4.1: Introduction of AI for UAS Complete M4.2: Machine Learning Overview	Assignment 4 on ML (Due 6/26)
6/26	Thu	Complete M3.2: Cloud Computing and Virtualization Complete M4.3: Supervised Learning	–
6/27	Fri	Group presentations on “Application of AI for UAS”” over Zoom	–
Week 3: June 30 – July 3
6/30	Mon	Complete M3.3: Networked Airborne Computing Complete M4.4: Unsupervised Learning	Assignment 5 on Distributed Computing (Due 7/1)
7/1	Tue	Complete M3.4: Mobile Edge Computing Complete M4.5: Reinforcement Learning	–
7/2	Wed	Complete M3.5: Security Complete M4.6: Federated Learning	–
7/3	Thu	Group presentations on “Emerging Trends and Challenges in UAS”” over Zoom	–

🛫 Tentative Onsite Training Schedule (July 7–11, 2025)

Date	Day	Morning Session	Afternoon Session
7/7	Mon	Welcome, UAV Facility Visit (9:30 AM – 12 PM)	Hands-on Activities on Path Effects (1 PM – 4:30 PM)
7/8	Tue	Flight Demos, Flight Control Activities (9:30 AM – 12 PM)	Tello Programming (1 PM – 4:30 PM)
7/9	Wed	Tutorial and Hands-on Activities on Digital Signals and Digital Modulation(9:30 AM – 12 PM)	Hands-on Activities on AM Modulation(1 PM – 4:30 PM)
7/10	Thu	Tutorial and Hands-on Activities on Raspberry Pi and MPI(9:30 AM – 12 PM)	Hands-on Activities on Distributed Computing and AI(1 PM – 4:30 PM)
7/11	Fri	Conclusion & Survey (9:30 AM – 12 PM)	—