UMD Drone Club
FPV · Fixed Wing · Swarm Technology · XR Integration
The UMD Drone Club was founded in October 2025 as a student-led organization focused on making unmanned systems accessible to everyone at the University of Maryland — not just engineers. Any student, graduate researcher, or faculty member can join, and no prior experience is required. As Vice President, my role is to help shape the club's direction and structure, support subteam leadership, and drive partnerships that expand what the club can build. The club is built around three independent subteams — FPV, Fixed Wing, and Technology — each choosing their own projects, running their own build meetings, and operating with their own leadership. The structure is intentionally decentralized: students gain real ownership of what they're building rather than following a top-down curriculum.
The first major milestone was completing a fully built FPV drone — now flying regularly at the Fearless Flight Facility, since campus proximity to Washington DC airspace makes on-campus flight impossible. Fixed Wing and swarm drone technology are the next two development tracks. On the partnership front, we presented at the XR Club's demo day to explore a collaboration at the intersection of immersive technology and drone control — building systems where virtual reality or augmented reality interfaces provide operators with new ways to pilot and interact with unmanned platforms. That partnership is actively in development.
Subteams
Three independent tracks — each with its own projects, build meetings, and leadership.
01
FPV
ActiveFirst-Person View drones — the club's first completed build. The subteam designs, builds, and flies FPV platforms with regular flying sessions at Greenbelt Park. Campus airspace restrictions due to proximity to Washington DC mean all flight happens off-campus, which has made Greenbelt a regular gathering point for the club. Members get hands-on experience with frame assembly, electronics integration, flight controller configuration, and actual flight — from the ground up.
02
Fixed Wing
In DevelopmentFixed-wing aircraft — longer range, higher efficiency, different aerodynamic challenges than multirotor platforms. The Fixed Wing subteam is in active development, exploring airframe design, propulsion systems, and the flight dynamics that distinguish fixed-wing from rotary platforms. Experience gained here spans CAD for airframe geometry, electronics for flight control, and the physics of lift and control surfaces.
03
Technology
In DevelopmentThe Technology subteam focuses on software, autonomy, and advanced drone systems — including swarm drone technology, where multiple UAVs coordinate and communicate to accomplish tasks no single drone could handle alone. This is the subteam most directly connected to the XR Club partnership, exploring how immersive interfaces can be used to control and monitor drone platforms in new ways.
XR Club Partnership
Active Partnership
Immersive Drone Control Technology
We presented at the XR Club's demo day to open a partnership at the intersection of extended reality and unmanned systems. The collaboration explores using VR and AR interfaces to give drone operators new modes of interaction — immersive first-person views, spatial control overlays, and multi-drone coordination environments that go beyond traditional radio-control paradigms. The partnership is in active development between the Drone Club's Technology subteam and the XR Club's engineering team.
External · Club Website
UMD Drone Club
umd-drone-club.com
The official UMD Drone Club website — subteam pages, build logs, blog posts, and information on how to join. All UMD community members are welcome regardless of background or major.
Gallery
UMD Drone Club · University of Maryland · Founded October 2025